Islington dinner lady up for school chef of the year

An Islington dinner lady has reached the regional finals for School Chef of the Year

An Islington dinner lady has reached the regional finals for School Chef of the Year

Alison Bankole, who cooks up dinners at Rotherfield Primary School, in Rotherfield Street, Islington, will pit her talents against four other London chefs in the capital wide competition.

During the cook off, at Lewisham College on February 12, Ms Bankole will deliver her trademark dish of minty and spicy roast lamb on saute green leaves and herby root vegetable stack, followed by apple and cinnamon semi-fredo served with oaty crumby cookies and berries coulis for dessert.

The winner, co-judged by two year 11 pupils, will go through to the national final in May.

Carrieanne Bishop, chair of the Lead Association for Catering in Education who run the competition, said: “The preparation, cooking, creativity and presentation skills of school chefs are really put to the test in the competition.

“Each entrant is required to produce, in just one and a half hours, a healthy balanced two-course meal comprising of a main course and dessert that would appeal to eleven year olds in school.”

“A maximum of £1.60p is allowed for the cost of a single meal (a main course and dessert) for one child.”

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