This year, the competition will have two winners as it has two separate categories; one for local authority school chefs and one for all other school chefs.
Anne Bull, former LACA Chair and competition judge, said: “We want to use this competition to help raise the profile of school cooks and to show off the hard work and dedication they put in to their work every day. It’s also a great way to get pupils to try something new, and get the wider school, and even parents, talking about school meals.”
The challenge is to create a balanced, delicious and nutritious one pot dish using at least one product from the McCain Our Chef Solutions Simply range. Dishes must be compliant with all applicable school meal requirements, including School Food Plan in England, Healthy Eating in Wales and Better Eating, Better Leaning in Scotland, and cost no more than 80p per portion.
The chosen finalists will present their dishes at a live MasterChef style cook off at luxury Eckington Manor hotel in Worcestershire, where they will receive a complimentary dinner and overnight’s stay, along with their line manager and/or head of service.
Beverley Paterson, two time one pot meal winner, said: “I would urge every school cook to enter the McCain Simply One Pot Meal competition. I have entered lots of competitions and this one definitely takes the lead. Even if you don’t win, the experience of competing is a prize in itself.”