A Dungannon teen is celebrating after emerging as the winner of a Northern Ireland wide competition for talented young chefs.
Kristen Nugent, 14, came runner up in the FutureChef competition before returning to go one better this year under the mentorship of Dungannon chef James Devine.
The St Ciaran’s, Ballygawley pupil wowed judges with her ‘Fermanagh Chicken Tasting Plate’ and an apple upside down cake.
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Kristen beat off competition from 1,650 students who registered to take part this year.
The head of Springboard NI, a charity set up to support talent in the hospitality industry here, said Kristen was a deserved winner of the event.
“We are delighted for Kristen and her winning dish, and are grateful to our mentors, judges and competition sponsor Henderson Foodservice for lending their time, knowledge and skills to our participants over the past few months,” Caitriona Lennox of Springboard said.
“This has been a fantastic year for the competition, and if the talent and ambition we have seen this year is any indicator, the future of hospitality in Northern Ireland is in great hands."
Chef Geoff Baird, Business Development Chef at sponsor Henderson Foodservice, said: “Kristen is a hugely worthy winner, and blew us all away with her consideration of flavours, local produce and conscientious cooking.
“While the local hospitality sector has bounced back well thanks to its collective determination and graft post-lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, recruitment is still a significant challenge, alongside rising energy costs, which threaten our vibrant offering here in Northern Ireland.”
Kristen will now head to London in March to represent Northern Ireland in the UK-wide FutureChef final.
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