Chef Shropshall to mentor FutureChef finalists

UCB chef lecturer Mat Shropshall will mentor the winners of the local Springboard FutureChef competition to prepare them for the regional final. 

FutureChef is a nationwide culinary initiative run by The Springboard Charity, helping young people aged 12-16 to learn to cook, explore food and develop a vital life skill. It develops culinary skills, educates about food provenance, health and safety and food hygiene and informs about entry routes into careers in hospitality. 

This year, Mat is mentoring two FutureChef regional finalists, Kitty Bailey, from Arden Academy, Solihull, and Mohammed Iqbal, from Small Heath School. The young chefs will follow a similar preparation structure to the one UCB uses for students entering culinary competitions such as the Culinary World Cup. They will work on their dishes with Chef Shropshall over the next few months. 

“It’s a pleasure to be involved with the FutureChef competition,” said Chef Shropshall. “Over the past eight years I have been involved with mentoring schoolchildren through the process of competing, and teaching them to cope with the pressure. The students also have a lot of support from their school teachers and parents, who play a vital role in their success. 

“These future chefs will be the hospitality industry’s next success story and potentially will follow others in a career at UCB or into the industry. 

“At UCB, we are very supportive in developing and enriching culinary skills within the local Birmingham area and very proud of our local FutureChef finalists.” 

The next FutureChef competition will be on 23 March 2015, with the national final taking place at Westminster Kingsway College in London.