Cheshire College – South & West learner, Nathan Price, has exhibited his extraordinary cooking skills at The Young Risotto Chef of the Year competition, making his way to the Grand Final held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Nathan, a Level 1 Professional Cookery learner based at Cheshire College’s Ellesmere Port Campus, competed in the Regional Heats in Middlesbrough at the beginning of the year where he progressed on to the Grand Final on the 4th April.
For the final, Nathan earned high praise from the judges, led by renowned Consultant Chef Paul Gayler MBE, as he chose to infuse his beetroot risotto with deep fried goats cheese, roasted figs glazed with balsamic reduction, and pickled beetroot. One judge, Adriano Cavagnini, Executive Chef at The Bulgari Hotel in London, was particularly enthusiastic about Nathan’s culinary skills and offered Nathan a work experience opportunity alongside him at The Bulgari Hotel.
The annual competition, searches for young chefs who can inject personality, passion and creativity into their own vibrant and exciting risotto dish.
First prize in the competition was a three-day trip to Italy for a cooking experience at the 2-star Michelin restaurant, Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia, in Milan, followed by a tour of the Riso Fallo Rice Mill.
Nathan competed against seven other hopeful young chefs who all came from a number of regional heats based around the UK and Ireland, with the first prize being awarded to a chef currently working at a Gordon Ramsay owned restaurant.
Nathan has said of his achievement: “This has been a fantastic competition from start to finish. It has given me a lot of confidence and the whole experience was made possible with the help of the College and my tutor, Angel Ralvhev.
“It was great to receive such positive feedback from Chef Adriano Cavagnini and being offered work experience is something I am really looking forward to. I am looking forward to gaining as much experience and learning new skills over the next few years.”
Andrea Huby, Assistant Director of Hair, Beauty and Hospitality at Cheshire College, says: “We are extremely proud of Nathan and his tutors for reaching this stage and representing the College at such a prestigious event. The tutors have put in so much hard work and extra hours to enable Nathan to reach the final. Not only that but Nathan has inspired other learners in the group to step out of their comfort zone and compete in competitions. Nathan recently cooked his dish at our Open Evening on the 20th of April.”
If you would like to know more about the Hospitality and Catering courses provided at Cheshire College and how you can train in the College’s AA Rosette standard ‘Academy’ restaurants, visit https://www.ccsw.ac.uk/full-time-courses/
