School Chef of the Year sponsored by
Interview with Tracy Healy –
Representing Yorkshire & Humberside region 2017 LACA School Chef of the Year winner Winning dishes: Lamb Kofta with coconut rice served with flatbread and mint salad Rhubarb Fool with Ginger Crunch
Q. How did you feel when you were announced as the 2017 LACA SCOTY winner?
A. Well I couldn’t believe it at first and it was mental with everyone screaming around me. My feet still haven’t touched the ground.
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Were you nervous about cooking at the final?
A. Not really as I’m used to cooking for 280 kids every day so cooking for 4 in the same timeframe was manageable. Surprisingly, I felt quite calm.
the ‘Rhubarb Triangle’ so of course I had to make a dish using rhubarb. I used the judges feedback from the previous rounds to improve the recipes for the final and I kept amending them until I was happy with the end result.
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Why are school lunches important to children?
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When you see what some people are putting into packed lunches (basically sandwiches and crisps) it’s always the same. Whereas when they have a school meal, it Have you made the dishes for anyone cab be so different. The plate should look else? so colourful and help the kids get a range of foods and nutrients. Oh yes, my family have had it a number of times as my husband What’s the name of your school, how particularly likes the rice. I made the menu for school lunch and the feedback from the many children do you feed and what are the most popular dishes? kids was very positive.
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Q. What made you enter LACA SCOTY
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I work at Ravensthorpe School in West Yorkshire which has approximately 400 this year? How did you choose your menu? children, of which 280 have the hot school I was at the LACA conference last year meal option. They like everything but the The main was Lamb Kofta and cherry and went to the SCOTY stand where I favourites are lasagne and pizza. We will tomato skewers. The reason why I chose it spoke to last year’s winner, Kath Breckon. have up to 7 choices in one day so they was because meatballs and kebabs are She told me about the wonderful things have a big selection to choose from, similar already a favourite with the kids at my she’s been up to since she won and so I to when adults eat out for lunch. applied and here I am! school so I thought it would be good to The kids are a lot more adventerous now merge them. Also, I find that children are and are willing to try different cuisines. I What does winning mean to you? more likely to eat cherry tomatoes if they’re always make new dishes with different cooked rather than raw. My son wouldn’t It’ll be a whirlwind year with great ingredients to encourage them to eat eat raw tomatoes but he would if I cooked opportunities. I want to take my time to see something they wouldn't normally try. them. what’s suitable for me and basically, enjoy For the dessert, I’m from a region called the experience.
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To find out more details about entering the 2018 L.A.C.A School Chef of the Year competition email scoty@dewberryredpoint.co.uk or call 0800 742 842. ® Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. All rights reserved.