Victoria shares this latest news from the Create & Cook Competition. Ed
Eight teen cooks from the Isle of Wight battled it out serving up a locally inspired two course meal in a bid to be crowned the ‘Isle of Wight Champion’ in the regional final of the Create & Cook Competition at Cowes Enterprise College on Wednesday.
Nadia Robertson and Kirsty Sciver from Christ the King College in Newport won the judges over with their chicken stuffed with mozzarella and homemade pesto 
with sweet potato crisps, asparagus and a chunky tomato salsa; served alongside chocolate cupcakes with a raspberry buttercream filling, mini meringues and a raspberry coulis for dessert.
Taking part was great fun
After winning the Isle of Wight final, Nadia and Kirsty said:
“We are really happy to have won! Taking part was great fun, we weren’t nervous before, just really excited. We weren’t expecting to win at all. It’s great, a real surprise!”
The Create & Cook Competition, which is run by fit2cook food education, sponsored by The Southern Co-operative and supported on the Island by Wightlink and The Little Gloster restaurant, aims to nurture young talent and celebrate local food.
The competition encourages students aged between 12 and 14 to create and cook a two course menu using as many Isle of Wight sourced ingredients as possible.
Focus on Island produce
Min Raisman from fit2cook food education who runs the Create & Cook Competition said:
“Nadia and Kirsty used a fantastic amount of Island produce in their menu, which is the focus of the Competition. Their ingredients were sourced from across the Island, from Calbourne four to Briddlesford cream to Island asparagus & tomatoes. It was a great local menu that tasted fantastic – well done girls!”
Elisabeth Codey and Ellie Richardson, from Carisbrooke College, Newport; Marc Baker and Jacob Hall, from Cowes Enterprise College, Cowes; and Marley Elliot and Tyler Stride, from Christ the King College, Newport also competed in the Create & Cook Competition Isle of Wight Final.
Finals next month
The finalists of the Isle of Wight heat, Nadia and Kirsty, will go on to the Final of the Create & Cook Competition on 21st June at Newlyns Cookery School in Hook, Hampshire.
The finalists will cook against fellow county competition finalists from Hampshire and Sussex schools, aiming to win the 2016 Create & Cook Competition trophy which is currently held by students at Christ the King College on the Isle of Wight.
To find out more about the Create & Cook Competition, please visit www.fit2cook.co.uk/createandcook.
Image: Create & Cook Competition Isle of Wight Champions, Kirsty Sciver (L) and Nadia Robertson (R) with their winning dishes.
