1 December 2010

I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE

In the age of food-is-a-competition as seen on television every night, it was a great relief for me to be involved in a competition that was not staged nor hyped and psyched, and where emerging cooking skills were displayed and rewarded. And these cooks were all 14 years of age.

I had the privilege of being head judge at the Chelsea School Bakeoff yesterday. Five finalists, from the five geographic regions of Auckland City came together in the Technology Suite at Botany Downs Secondary School. Their purpose was to bake and decorate cupcakes in an hour and a half. My purpose, along with two other judges, Monique Farrell from Chelsea sugar, and Brett McGregor of Masterchef fame, was to select a winner from the five talented bakers.

They were amazingly self-assured, and had all obviously practised and honed their skills in both their home kitchens and at their schools. The finalists and their cakes:

• Jaimee Harris from Avondale College whose theme was Alice in Wonderland, and produced an exquisite set of cakes that looked utterly professional and tasted delicious.
• Larissa Curry from Sancta Maria College with dainty little cupcakes that included the pink Breast Cancer logo, in remembrance of her grandmother who has recently passed away.
• Christine Love from Onehunga High School with some really luscious white chocolate and fresh raspberry cupcakes decorated with white chocolate curls.
• Peter Witton from Northcote College whose cakes looked so professional they could have been in any smart cake shop.
• And the winner, Antony Kapeli Sua from Papakura High School, who showed flair, innovation and skill beyond his years with his beautifully light Red Velvet cupcakes decorated with a creamy meringue based icing.

It is really heartening to see the future generation attacking the task with enthusiasm, confidence and flair. I know some of these kids, who have already acquired a terrific set of skills, will go to find career paths in the culinary industry, and I hope that next year all New Zealand kids get a similar chance to display their love of baking and cooking.