Competitors are required to prepare cook and present four portions of a grab & go/breaktime savoury snack with a total cost per head of 80p. Registrations of interest are open until Friday 28th February 2025.
Marks will be awarded for: originality of the finished dish; ease of eating on the go; practicality of the dish in a school setting; how well the flavours and ingredients work together; variety of textures in the finished dish and how appealing it is to look at.
The competition is open to all staff that hold a kitchen based post and who are involved in the daily preparation of students’ meals. The overall winner will receive £500, plus a £500 set of Wüsthof professional chef’s knives donated by SchoolGrid.
Judges will review all entries to establish a long list of the best eight. These school chefs will be invited to a central location in mid-May 2025 to cook their dish to determine the final shortlist of three entries.
Judith Gregory, LACA national chair, said: “Grab ‘N’ Go is a fundamental part of the school food service, particularly in secondary schools and academies, so we are delighted that the challenge is returning for 2025.
“LACA would like to thank SchoolGrid for their continued support of the challenge; the ideas developed by the incredible school chefs who compete are an inspiration and help us all to develop this vital aspect of the service.”