A budding Heston Blumenthal has booked her place in a prestigious cooking competition.
Jade Smiles, a pupil at Highbury Fields School, in Highbury Hill, wowed the judges at a regional heat of Futurechef. The year 11 GCSE hospitality and catering student was given £7 to source ingredients for her feast.
The 16-year-old made pan-fried salmon with samphire, sauté potatoes and cream of tarragon sauce, with an intricately designed pâte à choux swans with crème patisserie and spun sugar for dessert.
Among the prestigious judging panel impressed by Jade’s talent in the kitchen was Michael Riordan, executive chef at the luxury St Pancras Renaissance Hotel.
Jade will now test her culinary expertise against some of the brightest young chefs in London at the final in February.
Denise Joseph, the school’s head of faculty for art and technology said: “All at Highbury Fields are very proud of Jade. On the day, she impressed everybody by delivering outstanding dishes under pressure. Well done Jade.”
Her progress can be followed here
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