Anna Carmichael, 15, won the cooking contest in March, beating 8,200 12 to 16-year-old entrants from across the UK.
Her first prize started with a behind-the-scenes visit to Sodexo’s catering operation at Eton College accompanied by mum Helena and step dad Peter, before an evening meal at Heston Blumenthal’s Berkshire restaurant The Hinds Head.
The next day she went to Royal Ascot, where Sodexo provides catering and hospitality services. This year the contract caterer brought in the extra talents of Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge and two Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar to add extra glamour to the menus.
Carmichael spent the morning with the Sodexo team preparing food for hospitality guests, before lunch with Sodexo craft development director David Mulcahy and Springboard Charity chief executive Anne Pierce in a hospitality suite featuring cuisine from French culinary powerhouse Lenôtre.
She had started her journey to first prize months before by winning the Springboard local finals, which were judged by Sodexo executive chef Gareth Billington, who is based at Everton Football Club.
Billington then mentored her in the regional finals and final of the competition, helping her prepare by giving her work experience at Goodison Park on match days.
David Mulcahy, Sodexo craft development director and FutureChef head judge, said: “Anna’s dishes were amazing in the FutureChef final, and so it was great to reward her hard work and passion with this experience of Sodexo’s world-class operation at Royal Ascot.”
Carmichael said: “This was the best day of my life so far. I got to Royal Ascot at about 8.30am and met the kitchen team. It was really different from the kitchens I’ve been in before, for a start because it was in a tent.
“The team were really lovely and I met Malcolm Emery, the executive chef, who explained the menus, what was going on and what people were doing. I helped to plate up the starters.”
“When I finished in the kitchen at about 2pm, I was exhausted but too excited to think about being tired.
“I actually missed the lunch, but soon afterwards the afternoon tea came out, which was gorgeous. The day finished at about 9pm. It was a long day, but I wouldn’t have wanted it to finish earlier.
“I’ve always liked to cook at home with my family. It’s really good the experience gives you insight into the industry like this, because you leave school at 16 go to college, and when you get into the workplace you could find you don’t like it.
“I definitely see myself making a career in the hospitality industry.”
Pierce added: “I was delighted to be at Ascot and see our Springboard FutureChef 2014 winner, Anna Carmichael, in action. It was a pleasure to see Anna demonstrate her amazing cooking skills and to be able to work with all members of the Sodexo team.”