Sarah is the Futurechef

Dec 5 2008 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A PERTH High School pupil will represent Tayside in the prestigious Springboard Futurechef Competition.

This UK-wide culinary challenge is aimed at 12-16 year olds and requires each participant to design and cook a two-course meal to a set time and budget.

This week at Perth College, the Tayside heat was played out with budding young chefs competing against each other for the honour of representing the region at the Scottish final in January – and, if successful, to represent Scotland in the UK final in London In March.

The winner was Sarah McGeoghie from Perth High School, and the runner-up, Jamie Clark from the High School of Dundee.

For the Tayside heat, Springboard joined forces with Cittaslow Perth who co-sponsored the event.

Chairman of the Cittaslow Steering Group, Councillor Jack Coburn, presented a specially commissioned, hand carved, trophy to the winner.

He said: “Cittaslow Perth is proud to be supporting the FutureChef Competition and in addition to the trophy we have arranged for a special ‘day out’ treat for the winning pupil and their teacher. Such events are vital in order to encourage local young people to appreciate good food sourced locally.”

Cittaslow has also arranged for local leading chef, Graeme Pallister, from No 63 Tay Street, to mentor the winner through the next stages of the competition, while each of the heat finalists were presented with samples of local produce.

The judges, who were secured on behalf of Springboard by Ian Gibb from Perth College, who also hosted the event, were executive chefs Neil Mugg from the Gleneagles Hotel and Clive Lamb, a lecturer chef with Perth College UHI.