St Paul's Student wins local final of Springboard FutureChef Competition

Schoolboy Lubo Mulkerns from St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook was this year’s winner of the local final of the Springboard FutureChef Competition, held at Southern Regional College’s (SRC) Newry campus on Wednesday 13th November.  

Lubo now moves forward to the regional final of FutureChef, held in Belfast Met early next year; the penultimate stage in the battle to become one of 12 national finalists.  The national final will be held at Westminster Kingsway College in London next March.  

To compete within the local finals, competitors had to design, prepare and cook a main course for two people, within a cooking time of just one hour.  Participants were challenged to create a cost-effective meal with an advisory budget of £5 to be spent on ingredients for both portions. 

With his budget, Lubo created the winning dish of Chicken Roulade with Walnut Stuffing & Redcurrant Jus, Butternut Squash Risotto & Seasonal Vegetables.  Lubo will now be paired with a local chef, who will mentor him ahead of the regional finals, early next year.

Judging the local final was Geoff Baird, Executive Development Chef for Henderson Foodservice. 

The FutureChef competition is an opportunity for secondary school students aged between 11 and 16 to showcase their culinary talents, receive feedback from industry experts, and grow their confidence. The competition is a school-based programme across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland that supports the development of key life skills whist inspiring young people to pursue an exciting career within the hospitality sector.

Jillian Audis, Operations Manager Hospitality & Tourism at Southern Regional College commented: “Congratulations to Lubo as he moves forward to the regional finals of FutureChef.  Lubo’s creation, a delectable Chicken Roulade with Walnut Stuffing & Redcurrant Jus, accompanied by a creamy Butternut Squash Risotto and a medley Seasonal Vegetables, was a mouthwatering dish and worthy winner of the local finals. We eagerly anticipate following his journey through the rest of the competition.”