We're absolutely delighted to announce that Mellors' very own Tom Armstrong, Chef Manager at Shelley College in Huddersfield, has been crowned LACA School Chef of the Year 2022!
After two extremely competitive days of cooking at the LACA Main Event in Birmingham, Tom beat his talented rivals to claim this prestigious award.
First time finalist Tom served up a menu of Tandoori Quorn & Onion Bhaji, Indian Spiced Quorn Cottage Pie with Crushed Bombay Potatoes, Butter Sauce & Greens and for dessert, a Coconut Milk Panna Cotta with Mango Puree & Freeze Dried Raspberries. The judges were clearly impressed with Tom's stunning dishes. Chair of Judges, Kate Snow said, "Tom is a very worthy winner. All of his dishes were fantastic."
This year's LACA School Chef of the Year asked competitors to create their menus using at least one Quorn product in both the grab & go and main course dishes, one specified Bisto product and a 50% fruit-based dessert. Tom took this brief and ran with it, creating 3 delicious, dishes that not only looked and tasted fantastic but were also reflective of school food standards.
After the competition, Tom said, "I've met some amazing people who now feel like family. As a first time finalist, I loved the welcoming feeling and I'm so excited for the next 12 months."
Tom, who has been supported throughout this competition by our Food Development team, specifically Development Chefs John Connolly and Nick Constantine, will now take part in a year of catering industry events, including a study tour to Germany courtesy of MKN.
Well done Tom! You're a thoroughly deserving winner. Everyone at Mellors is extremely proud of you.
Read more about Tom's win and the LACA School Chef of the Year competition here -
Tom Armstrong claims LACA’s 2022 School Chef of the Year (SCOTY) title | LACA
