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NI’s FutureChefs reveal what’s in their 2022 meal

9th February 2022

 

Tomorrow (Thursday 10th February 2022), five young and passionate cooks will go head-to-head at the Springboard FutureChef NI Final, judged by some of the biggest names in local and international culinary fame and supported by Henderson Foodservice, the leading supplier to the hospitality industry across Ireland.

Celebrity Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and local restauranteur and chef, Michael Deane will join Food Development Chef, Geoff Baird from Henderson Foodservice to decide which of the five teenagers - Olivia Drain from Ballymena Academy, Michael Thompson from Campbell College, Ewan McCandless from Wallace High School, Kristen Nugent from St. Ciaran’s College and Faith Belshaw from Newtownhamilton High School – will travel to London in March for the UK-wide final.

Geoff has been mentoring the youngsters throughout the competition, alongside some of NI’s best homegrown chefs – Chris Bell, John Clark, Chris McGowan, James Devine and Colleen Lennon who, in turn, have learned what the younger generation want to see in their plate of food, and what matters to them in a meal in 2022. Here’s what it boils down to…

  1. Plant based diets are becoming more and more accessible, with big brands and local producers making it easier for us to whip up a tasty dish for the likes of Meat Free Monday Meals. Geoff says; “I work with restaurants across the island of Ireland to show them how we can supply various ingredients to make vegan meals, and the demand has increased exponentially especially in the past couple of years. In fact, 21% of people in NI are more likely to choose an eatery with vegan or vegetarian options, particularly amongst the under 35s cohort*. Reducing meat consumption is important for consumers, and especially young people who are more conscious of what they consume.”

  2. Waste not, want not: Geoff says; “As shopping bills rise, we’re more aware of making the most of our ingredients, and as a chef, we aim for very little waste when it comes to preparing our dishes. The best example is a chicken, where you can not only use the meat as a main ingredient, but also incorporate the skin as part of the dish and using the carcass for broths to make your money go even further. It was important to all of our participants throughout the FutureChef competition this year and was part of our judging criteria too.”

  3. Farm to Fork: Living in Northern Ireland means access to some of the freshest fruit and veg, straight from the lough seafood and almost everything in between. Geoff added; “At Henderson Foodservice, sourcing local ingredients has always been a top priority for us, and it’s incredibly important for restauranteurs to have local produce on their menus. 52% of people in Northern Ireland are more likely to choose a restaurant that uses locally sourced ingredients*, so supporting our local agri-food industry is fool proof as it keeps our economy strong, more people in work and helps those businesses and restaurants thrive. We talked to our FutureChef students a lot about the importance of local sourcing and keeping food miles low, not to mention how much fresher local produce is and how much better it tastes! It’s high priority for our young chefs.”

  4. Value: Each participant has worked to a budget when buying ingredients for their dishes in the competition, and it’s a valuable skill to have for budgeting and meal planning at home and should their careers lead them into the hospitality industry. Geoff added; “Our finalists are making a main course and dessert with a budget of £10 and have been extremely creative throughout the entire process, taking into account waste and provenance. It just shows you what can be done.”

The FutureChef 2022 NI Finals take place on Thursday 10th February 2022 at Belfast Met Titanic Quarter. The winner will go through to the UK-wide Final in March, facing students from England, Wales and Scotland, who will battle it out to become the Springboard FutureChef Winner 2022.

*Bord Bia Irish Foodservice Market & Consumer Insights 2021 (Focusing on Takeaway and Out of Home)