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Step-Up to the Create 'n' Cook Challenge with Jenny Bristow

Jenny Bristow and the University of Ulster's innovative Step-Up programme joined forces to deliver a novel Create 'n' Cook competition aimed at encouraging young pupils to consider University as a possible career option. The competition challenged boys and girls from Year 10 classes within "Step-Up" schools in Belfast and Londonderry to create their very own innovative and tantalising culinary dishes.

Round 1

The competition started in February 2008 with pupils working in teams of four, assisted by undergraduate student mentors from the University of Ulster's School of Hotel, Leisure and Tourism, brainstorming and formulating ideas for their products. Entrants were provided with four product categories upon which to base their final new and innovative food product:

• Naughty Nibbles (A Snack Product)
• Glorious Grub (A School Meal)
• Teatime Treats (An Evening Meal)
• Super Supper (A Supper for a night-in)

Once generated, pupils had to display their ideas in the form of a poster presentation which detailed the product name, the reason for designing the product and a recipe. A panel of judges lead by Jenny Bristow - celebrated Chef, author and Good Food Ambassador whittled the entries down to thirty, who then progressed to round two of the competition

Round 2

The second round of the Create 'n' cook competition took place on Wednesday 9th April 2008 and thirty teams were provided with an opportunity to turn their ideas into reality by participating in a "cook off" event which took place within the product development suites at the University of Ulster.

The panel of judges sampled each dish and deliberated for a lengthy period of time before deciding on the three winning teams from Belfast and Derry. The judges were sworn to silence as the winners were not to be announced until the grand finale on 23rd and 24th April 2008.

The Finals

The Masterclass events hosted by Jenny Bristow were held in Spires Conference and Exhibition Centre in Belfast on Wednesday 23rd April 2008 and at the Playhouse at St. Columb's Hall in Derry on Thursday 24th April 2008. During the events, Jenny cooked some of her own culinary specialities in front of a hungry live audience between announcing the top three winning teams from the "cook off" stage of the competition. These teams were then invited on stage to re-create their dishes and receive their first, second and third placed prizes.

The prize winners from the Belfast area were

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The prize winners from the Derry area were

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The prizes

Part 1

One of the prizes received by the competition winners included a visit to Jenny Bristow's Studio where her television programmes are recorded. This special visit took place on Wednesday 18th June 2008 where the winning dishes were re-created by Jenny and photographed for inclusion on her website. The visitors also enjoyed a selection of Jenny's home-made tasty treats and posed for photographs in her kitchen.

Part 2

In addition, on behalf of Flybe regional airline carrier and Bombardier Aerospace the first placed teams were also invited to climb onboard the Bombardier Q400 High Flyers' Flight at George Best Belfast City Airport. Jenny joined the prizewinners on board the plane which took to the sky on Sunday 22nd June and flew over one of Northern Ireland's most picturesque mountain districts and areas of natural beauty - the Mourne Mountains. Once on the ground, passengers were provided with the opportunity to meet the pilot and learn everything there is to know about the aircraft. Following this the prizewinners were treated to a hearty "Jenny Bristow breakfast".

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Jenny states

"I am delighted to be involved with the University of Ulster's Step-Up Programme. This is a unique cooking competition not only created to find a winning recipe but also develops personal interactive skills, communication and confidence. It is thanks to the support of Damian O'Kane and the University of Ulster that children become aware of the opportunities available to those aiming for success.

The vision of the University of Ulster has combined so well with how I personally feel on introducing our younger generation to the importance of good food, good diets and relative issues all encompassed through our modern lifestyle.

As a society we all have financial and social issues to address and this program certainly is unique and visionary. I feel the success of education today lies in addressing these issues in a fun and intelligent way under a mentored approach which equips our children for the modern lifestyle.

I have really enjoyed working alongside the students and their mentors on a one-to-one basis through inspirational judging and encouragement. This took them from their classroom to cooking in front of a live audience. Additionally there was the magic and razzmatazz of my TV Studio where they had the opportunity to share in the total experience – resulting in the recipe being taken to a global audience on my web site.

Based on the success of this year individuals, families and industry have all been impacted.

I feel it's essential we invest in programs such as this and the youth of tomorrow. "

Dr. Damian O’Kane (Head of Access and Educational Partnerships)

"This has been an outstanding competition, with almost 300 pupils submitting innovative and imaginative food products. Jenny has clearly inspired and motivated young people to experiment with food and produce dishes that would grace any occasion."