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FIJI, JULY 2017: School chefs event gave a great opportunity for our young people to learn the skills needed to prepare healthy and nutritious meals. Talks are underway to take the School Chef Challenge to another level.
Minister for Health and Medical Services Rosy Akbar said we needed to take it to the divisional and national level. Ms Akbar gave the closing address at the end of the event at the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort on the Coral Coast.
The two-day competition involved 16 schools and 180 students.
“The Ministry is very serious to trade this event, partner with Outrigger to take the event out to the divisional participation,” she said.
She said they needed to take the message there for more student, parental and community participation.
She added the event gave great opportunity for our young people to learn the skills needed to prepare healthy and nutritious meals.
She applauded the resort and other partners for their effort to stage this event.
It offered young people an insight into the tourism industry.
“This wonderful event has such great potential to benefit the health and well-being of everyone.
“Let us not underestimate the part that our children and young people can play and need to play, in the fight against NCDs,” she said.
Resort manager Russell Blaik said the event was a success both educationally and for fun.
“We are impressed with the initiative to see it as a semi-national level event with 16 schools this year,” he said.
“We are talking with the Minister to take the event to the national with zonal competitions before the grand final at a later stage.”
World Chefs Association Youth Development co-ordinator Sarah Kymbrekos was impressed with the skills of the aspiring chefs who competed at the event.
“It has been very good, I am happy with it and there have been a lot of new talents coming through,” she said.
“The creativity was a class act and the use of the local ingredients with the theme being SOS – no salt, oil and sugar.
This was Ms Kymbrekos first time to be part of the school chef competition but has been part of the national salon culinary competition in previous years.
She was a former president of the Vanuatu Chefs Association before she joined the World Chefs.
Also impressed was Blake Haines who is New Zealand young chef ambassador and was among the judges.
Meanwhile, Sigatoka Andhra Sangam College created history to become the second school to win the School Chefs Challenge yesterday.
The Olosara based institution becomes the first to end Cuvu College’s dominance in the event since its inception in 2013.
They scooped Sneh Lata Singh memorial trophy and won $2000 from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.
AS REPORTED IN THE FIJI SUN:https://fijisun.com.fj/2017/07/16/minister-akbar-sees-school-chef-challenge-becoming-bigger/
Edited by Ranoba Baoa
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