A budding Co Tyrone chef has come out on top in a prestigious competition to find the most talented cooks from across the UK.
Killeeshil teen Kristen Nugent, 15, beat her competition to win Springboard’s FutureChef title after a tense final at Westminster Kingsway College in London this week.
During the final stage of the competition, the competitors had 2 hours and 45 minutes to prepare a main course and dessert for a panel of industry-leading judges, including Adam Handling, Nieves Barragan Mohacho and 2023 National Chef of the Year Ben Murphy.
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Since winning her regional heat in Northern Ireland, Kristen has worked with award-winning Dungannon-based mentor chef James Devine, to hone her skills and create dishes that wowed the judges in every round.
The St Ciaran’s Ballygawley student said while she got off to a slow start in the final it was ‘amazing’ to have been named as the top chef in the competition.
“It was absolutely amazing and so unexpected,” Kirsten said.
“The first hour went slightly sideways but I stepped back, took deep breaths and after a 30 second break I got myself back together and it went really well after that.
“It has been a whirlwind experience competing in the FutureChef competition - and it is amazing to see the hard work finally pay off.
“The support and guidance I have received from my mentor James, has been instrumental in my success.
“I am more passionate than ever about pursuing a career in hospitality and I cannot wait to see what the future holds and the opportunities this will unlock.”
Celebrating Kristen’s success, her mentor James, said: “It has been a pleasure to see Kristen grow over the past few months - her confidence and knowledge have skyrocketed.
“Competitions like FutureChef really help the next generation explore their passions and it is exciting to see the next generation of culinary superstars developing and experiencing success already.”
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