Masterchefs comes to Hartlepool school

Budding Jamie Olivers and Nigela Lawsons served up a feast of delicious food for under a fiver when a Hartlepool school held its own version of TV's Masterchef.
Chef Adam Robson from the St Marys Inn, Stannington with  students to took part in the Catholic Partnership Master Chef event held at English Martyrs School.  Picture by FRANK REIDChef Adam Robson from the St Marys Inn, Stannington with  students to took part in the Catholic Partnership Master Chef event held at English Martyrs School.  Picture by FRANK REID
Chef Adam Robson from the St Marys Inn, Stannington with students to took part in the Catholic Partnership Master Chef event held at English Martyrs School. Picture by FRANK REID

English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College hosted the cooking competition which saw two students take on fellow cooks from three other Catholic schools from across the North East.

Top local chef Adam Robson, who was the resident chef at Alnwick Gardens, in Northumberland, until recently, was one of the judges.

Chef Adam Robson presents Jackson Black and Mia Mottram from English Martyrs School Hartlepool with their runners up books.  Picture by FRANK REIDChef Adam Robson presents Jackson Black and Mia Mottram from English Martyrs School Hartlepool with their runners up books.  Picture by FRANK REID
Chef Adam Robson presents Jackson Black and Mia Mottram from English Martyrs School Hartlepool with their runners up books. Picture by FRANK REID

He also provided valuable coaching to the young cooks.

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Each school’s team of two students had two hours to produce a high quality two course meal from scratch in two hours and that cost less than £5.

Karen Bainton, English Martyrs’ food technology teacher, said: “The judges said that the meals that were produced were restaurant standard.”

GCSE students Mia Mottram and Jackson Black represented English Martyrs and served up a yellow Thai chicken curry in coconut bowls with sticky Jasmine rice and mini vegetable phyllo pastry rolls.

Chef Adam Robson presents Jackson Black and Mia Mottram from English Martyrs School Hartlepool with their runners up books.  Picture by FRANK REIDChef Adam Robson presents Jackson Black and Mia Mottram from English Martyrs School Hartlepool with their runners up books.  Picture by FRANK REID
Chef Adam Robson presents Jackson Black and Mia Mottram from English Martyrs School Hartlepool with their runners up books. Picture by FRANK REID

That was followed by desert of chocolate chilli and cardamom tart with a peanut brittle plus a mango and lime puree.

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Ms Bainton said: “They served up an absolutely fantastic meal. They worked very hard after school for the last two weeks practising to make the dish which they chose themselves.”

They came runners up behind winners St Bede’s of Lanchester whose pupils made a mouth watering home made pasta and tomato sauce and fruit cake for sweet. Other members of the North East Catholic Schools Partnership that took part in the competition were St Thomas More Roman Catholic Academy in North Shields and St Leonard’s of Durham City.

They also made Italian inspired dishes.

English Martyrs has been holding the competition every year since 2009.

Ms Bainton added: “The students’ remit for the competition was to produce a two course meal for under £5 that included variety, had to be well flavoured and have high quality presentation.

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“It helps the students to develop their culinary skills and raises the profile of food on the curriculum.

“It also gives them the opportunity to work with a top chef.”

The judging panel also included Tim Madely, director of the partnership of 11 Catholic secondary schools in the diocese of Hexham & Newcastle.