TV chef and pot washer among stars of school dinners fit for a King

Scotland’s School Food Awards

Scotland’s School Food Awards

A star of the Masterchef TV programme and a former pot washer now head of catering at King Charles’ old school are among the finalists of Scotland’s School Food Awards.

Their employer Gordonstoun in Moray is shortlisted in four of the five main categories of the Awards which recognise institutions and individuals who prioritise foodservice and well-being for pupils.  They are open to state as well as private schools.

Finalists range from the Hebrides to the Borders and include a residential school for children with complex needs and one which can serve a full meal to 500 children in under 20 minutes.

Scotland’s School Food Awards

Before taking up his post at Gordonstoun, Head Chef Ross Burgess had taken part in Masterchef:The Professionals. He now oversees the production of around 1,400 refectory dishes a day. His colleague, Catering Manager Jamie Campbell, started there as a pot washer in 2008.

 

Other contenders for School Chef of the Year are Annette Burfoot, Head Cook of Broadford Primary on the Isle of Skye, June Cormie who is Senior Cluster Manager of Barrhead High School in East Renfrewshire, Vladimir Kruus, Executive Chef of Fettes College in Edinburgh, and Artur Pohnke, Head Chef of Dollar Acacdemy in Clackmannanshire.

Lucie Campbell of Peebles High School in the Borders, who has been mentored by Iain Gourlay, Head Chef at Midlothian’s Dalhousie Castle and has worked at Edinburgh’s Little Chartroom restaurant, is one of two finalists for the Student Chef of the Year title.

She is up against another Skye finalist, Domhnall Angus Bruce of Portree High Schoo, last year’s Springboard charity’s FutureChef North of Scotland winner, who now works at the 4 AA Rosette Edinbane Lodge on the island.

Another finalist bidding to be Student Chef of the Year is Eva Brodie of Portobello High School in Edinburgh, a former regional winner of Springboard’s Futurechef. Springboard supports hospitality, leisure and tourism industries and those wanting jobs within it

Gordonstoun’s other finalists are in the categories of Wellbeing in Education and Foodservice Team where staff source meat, fish, fruit and vegetables from suppliers just a few miles from the school.

Among others shortlisted in the Wellbeing category is Harmeny, a residential school and cottages for children with complex social, emotional and behavioural needs situated on a 35 acre estate in Balerno, Midlothian, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

Nearby Balerno High School uses a pre-order system for lunches, enabling 500 children to be served a full meal in under 20 minutes.

“More and more schools in both the public and private sectors are recognising the connection between high quality foodservice, innovative nutritional initiatives and dedicated, experienced staff,” an Awards spokesperson said. “School meals are crucial in educating young people about healthy eating and can be vital tools in combatting obesity and the cost-of-living crisis.”

The Scottish School Food Awards will be announced and presented at Glasgow Academy on Thursday 6 February. Hosted for the third year by the BBC’s Kaye Adams, this is the first time organisers have hosted it in Scotland’s largest city.

For more information on the finalists, sponsors and to reserve tickets visit schoolfoodawards.com.

Finalists:

School Chef of the Year 

Annette Burfoot, Head Cook, Broadford Primary, Isle of Skye

Ross Burgess, Head Chef, Gordonstoun School, Moray

June Cormie, Senior Cluster Manager, Barrhead High School, East Renfrewshire

Vladimirs Kruus, Executive Chef, Fettes College, Edinburgh

Artur Pohnke, Head Chef, Dollar Academy, Clackmannanshire

Student Chef of the Year 

Eva Brodie, Portobello High School, Edinburgh

Domhnall Angus Bruce, Portree High School, Isle of Skye

Lucie Campbell, Peebles High School, Scottish Borders

Food Service Team of the Year

Balerno High School, Midlothian

Erskine Stuart Melville Nursery and Primary 1, Edinburgh

East Renfrewshire Council

Edinburgh Academy Junior School

Gordonstoun School, Moray

Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh

Wellbeing in Education 

Barrhead High School, East Renfrewshire

George Watson’s College, Edinburgh

Gordonstoun School, Moray

Harmeny School, Balerno, Midlothian

Employee of the Year

Jamie Campbell, Catering Manager, Gordonstoun School, Moray

Liz Hardie, Glasgow City Council

Alan Harper, Chef Manager, Cargilfield School, Edinburgh

Sharon Topolska, General Manager, Dollar Academy

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