Ayr college student wins Great Potato Challenge

Ten catering students from across the country battled it out earlier this week in a bid to take home one of the top three prizes in the grand final of the Potato Council's 'Great Potato Challenge' competition 2009.

A range of dishes using a wide variety of potatoes were presented to the panel of expert judges in the kitchens at Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College where the final took place.

The student finalists all demonstrated great flair and a real understanding of the potato varieties they had chosen but it was a tasty dish developed by a student in her second year on the HND Hospitality Management course at Ayr College in Scotland that really stood out from the rest.

The dish, 'Red Rooster and Dunsyre Blue Potato Cake with Truffled Spinach, Petite Ratatouille and Red Rooster Pepper Dressing', earned its creator Kallaya Smillie the title of 'Great Potato Challenge Champion 2009.'

Kallaya, who is originally from Thailand, admitted she hadn't cooked a potato before starting her studies. She impressed the judges with her disciplined approach to working in the kitchen as well as her outstanding dish, which she specifically created for the competition.

She said: "I really felt I was in with a good chance of winning this competition as I'm so passionate about cooking. I created the recipe from scratch and practiced it constantly!
I'm completely over the moon that I won, it's a huge achievement. I adore potatoes because they are so versatile and can be cooked in so many different ways. I actually grow my own crop at home in the summer months - there's nothing more satisfying then cooking with my own produce.

"My goal is to become a professional chef when I finish my studies and winning a competition like this shows that I can cope under pressure in busy working kitchen. I'm sure it will impress future employers when they see this on my CV!"

Second place position went to Jack Rawlings from Westminster Kingsway College in London, who impressed the judges with his dish 'Crispy Potato and Purple Sprouting Broccoli Tart with a Potato, Beetroot and Artichoke and Herb Salad.'

In third place was Robert Gibson of Radbrook College in Shrewsbury with his 'Smoked Appleby and Potato Souffle and Wild Mushroom Cannelloni with Mushroom Foam'.

Words: Clare Riley

« Back to previous page