Rotary Club's Young Chef Cookery Competition

Past President Bob Baird, Catherine Robinson and President Angela McKinney

Grace Kettyle, a Year 12 pupil at the Collegiate Grammar School, has secured a place in the All-Ireland Final of the Rotary Club's Young Chef Cookery Competition which is scheduled to take place in Santa Sabina Secondary School, Dublin on Saturday 28th February. Grace was selected to go forward as a finalist after a 'MasterChef' style cook off at the Northern Ireland Semi-Final which took place in Grosvenor Grammar School, Belfast on Saturday 7th February.

During the final Grace will prepare, cook and serve a three course meal within two hours. For the starter she is planning to serve Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup with Chilli Oil from The MacNean Restaurant Cookbook by Neven Maguire, her favourite chef. Her main course is something from a little closer to home: Dry Aged Kettyleirish Fillet of Beef with Pomme Anna, Mushroom Purée and a Medley of Vegetables. For dessert, she will present Cranberry and Orange Tartlet with Greek-style Coconut Yoghurt and Cranberry Coulis.

This is not Grace's first taste of success in the culinary world as she was crowned the Northern Ireland Dairy Council's Young Cook of the Year in 2011. In 2012 she was a Northern Ireland finalist in the FutureChef Competition, a national competition run by Springboard. The following year she was again a finalist in the Northern Ireland Dairy Council's Young Cook of the Year event and last year she travelled to St Angela's College, Sligo to represent Northern Ireland in the Fine Dine at Mine All-Ireland Schools Cookery Competition, which had attracted over 1400 entries.