WestKing student wins Freedom Food menu competition
Gloria Ford, a second year student from Westminster Kingsway College, this week won the chance to cater for a prestigious awards lunch after being named the Freedom Food Student Chef of the Year.
The competition run by the RSPCA’s food labelling scheme, Freedom Food, aimed to find a higher welfare menu using approved products to serve at its 15th anniversary awards lunch, which was attended by Sophie Wright and Antony Worrall Thompson among others.
Ford’s four-course menu of Carpaccio of British Rose Veal ‘Tonnato’ with Parsley and Artichoke Salad, Salmon Raviolo with British Asparagus and Sorrel, Spring Lamb with Seasonal Vegetables, and Orange and Rosewater Pannacotta with Elderflower Jelly impressed the judges with her creativity and knowledge and understanding of the importance of high welfare animal products.
Bob Waller from Freedom Food judged the competition alongside writer and broadcaster Henrietta Green and WestKing Head of Culinary Arts Gary Hunter, and said Ford had submitted an ‘exceptional’ menu.
“Gloria not only used a broad mix of products from Freedom Food approved farms, but her entry also showed a very mature understanding of some of the real welfare issues facing animals farmed for food such as veal calves. These two key factors made her entry clearly stand out and she really does deserve to be named the college`s `Freedom Food Student Chef of the Year.”
Ford said her understanding of animal welfare standards was partly due to her vegetarian mother’s guidance. “Food provenance has always been vitally important to me especially when it comes to animal derived products,” she said. “I`m delighted to have won the competition and it`s given my confidence and enthusiasm for cooking a real boost.”
As well as catering for the awards lunch, Ford received an engraved cup from Wright and her veal recipe will be published later this year in the Freedom Food celebrity recipe collection.
