Our prize-winning apprentice chef!

Congratulations to apprentice chef Elycia, who won the plant-based category in the Oxford Junior Chef of the Year 2023 canapé competition at the annual Guild of Chefs Banquet at Keble College last month. 

Elycia has been consistently achieving accolades over the last year and was presented with her award by 3-Michelin-star chef Pierre Koffmann. She wrote a little about her experience for us:  

‘I was tasked with making 40 canapes in 2 hours (10 plant based, 10 vegetarian, 10 meat, 10 fish) and to make it harder they gave us a set ingredient list that we could not deviate from. The challenge definitely pushed my skills and knowledge but I loved every minute of it! I entered this competition to challenge myself and to get to know more people in the industry – I definitely feel like I achieved that.

In the end, I managed to win Oxford Junior Chef of the Year 2023 Plant-based category and was awarded with the special prize of dinner for two at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons. I definitely couldn’t have this without all the support around me.’