Newport school chef hoping to cook a winning meal
A school chef is out to prove how far school dinners have come as he competes to be crowned the best in the region.
Darren Barnes, head chef at Adams' Grammar School in Newport, was today competing for the West Midlands School Chef of the Year title – and a place in the London grand final.
Mr Barnes, 26, was going head-to-head with two other school chefs from Castle Bromwich and Stoke-on-Trent to create a healthy, balanced two-course meal that would appeal to 11-year-olds, but at a cost of just £1.60 a head.
Mr Barnes, of Telford, opted for a Shropshire fidget pie with glazed carrots and a chive sauce, followed by baked Alaska.
Mr Barnes, who is employed by the Catering Academy, said: "Gone are the days of turkey twizzlers and processed burgers.
"We like to use seasonal ingredients. For the competition we have a themed menu local to the school area.
"I did some research and found the fidget pie which Shropshire wives would make for their husbands. It has cider in it and a lot of onion and good quality ham.
"I'm following that with baked Alaska for the wow factor."
Mr Barnes has also been creative by making edible soil from blended olives.
Mr Barnes progressed through the first stage of the competition, which involved sending off a sample menu.
He will be cooking against the clock at Stoke-on-Trent College with just an hour and a half to complete his two courses.
Mr Barnes, who has previously worked in brasseries and restaurants, heads up a team of 18 at Adams' Grammar, where boarding pupils eat either two or three times a day, swelled by the lunchtime rush from day pupils.
