Three of Chesterfield’s most promising young chefs have had their passion for food fuelled further by a Farm to Fork experience organised by Destination Chesterfield and Owen Taylor & Sons.
Chesterfield College Level 2 cookery students, Ashley Pienaar (18), Callum Taylor (18) and Kye Homiak (18) have all been shortlisted for the Young Chef of the Year Award in the 2018 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with Chesterfield College.
Designed to give the promising young chefs an understanding of how the best of Derbyshire’s farming, butchery and culinary skills result in an outstanding dining experience, Ashley, Callum and Kye visited Owen Taylor’s factory butchery, the Red Tractor assured Butterley Top Farm in Ashover, before enjoying lunch at the Michelin-starred Fisher’s Baslow Hall hosted by head chef and owner, Rupert Rowley.
Carl Evans, Operations Manager at Owen Taylor & Sons, who accompanied the students, commented: “It was great to see Ashley, Callum and Kye so enthusiastic about every aspect of the Farm to Fork experience, asking a number of technical questions.
“We have taken a very hands-on role in our involvement with our sponsorship of the Young Chef of the Year category in the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. We think it’s important that people working in kitchens understand what goes on behind the scenes and appreciate how food is produced.
“Good chefs have a thorough understanding of the food miles, welfare and traceability of the produce they use. We only source produce from Farm Assured sites and that is why we supply to top restaurants and chefs like Fischer’s Baslow Hall.”
Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield, praised Owen Taylor & Sons’ involvement in the 2018 Food and Drink Awards, saying: “The Farm to Fork experience embodies the key driver of the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards.
“When we established the awards six years ago, our primary aim was to link suppliers, restaurants, education providers and young people in order to raise awareness of the thriving sector in Chesterfield but also make them aware of the many opportunities available within it.”
The students will have to wait until Wednesday 31 October to learn who is the winner of the prestigious Young Chef of the Year award. The winners of all 15 categories will be announced by celebrity chef, Lesley Waters, who is hosting the glittering black-tie awards ceremony at Chesterfield College’s modern Heart Space Building.
Blu Bistro & Coffee House, Bottle & Thyme and Cocina at Casa Hotel all hoping to take the top title of Restaurant of the Year 2018. This year, the awards also sees the introduction of two new categories recognising the vital role apprentices and their employers play in Chesterfield’s food and drink sector.
In addition to Owen Taylor & Sons, other supporters of the awards include: Apprentice Town, Banner Jones Solicitors, BHP Chartered Accountants, Casa Hotel, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire Building Control Partnership, Derbyshire Times, Elder Way (Jomast Developments), East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire), FEAST (The Food and Drink Forum) Hoods Florist, kortingenweb in the Netherlands, Jumble Creative Design, Kier Group, Learning Unlimited (The Chesterfield College Group), MSE Hiller, Peak FM, Reflections, Shorts Chartered Accountants and Winster Foods.
For more information about the awards, visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/foodanddrinkawards
