Nine girls from The Royal High School in Bath have been trying to impress celebrity chef Raymond Blanc with their technical souffles.
The girls had polished their whisks, perfected their beating techniques and practised in their sleep for two weeks as they set out to impress Raymond Blanc by cooking the perfect soufflé.
As part of The Great Bath Feast, the nine finalists, Ada, Matilda, Lara, Paige, Ursula, Lara, Cajsa, Hannah and Tamar, had been asked to create their own choice of soufflé to cook in the Soufflé Challenge for Raymond at his restaurant Brasserie Blanc in Bath.
The restaurant was packed with friends and family supporters but the girls showed little sign of nerves meeting the great man. After chatting to the girls and inspiring them with a passionate speech about the value of healthy, locally sourced seasonal produce and the value of cooking in the community, he joked “I think they are going to beat me at my own game!”
Helped along by Clive Fretwell, the Head of Executive Chefs for all the UK Brassieres, and former Head Chef at Le Manor for 16 years, the girls cooked up a soufflé storm, with flavours as diverse as chocolate and orange with sour cherries, pistachio with rosewater and passionfruit.
The winner was Cajsa Thulin with her perfect plum and cinnamon delight, closely followed by Matilda Shelford with her savoury cheese and watercress.
Blanc said: “I am excited to be involved with The Great Bath Feast this year. When we opened Brassiere Blanc in Bath in 2012 I was privileged to meet many local, wonderful people involved in the food industry from suppliers to producers and retailers – all I am sure have the words ‘quality, fresh food’ tattooed through them from head to toe.
“This beautiful part of the world is a food lovers’ paradise surrounded as you are by some of the best ingredients brought to you by the most passionate people in the business. The Great Bath Feast is a celebration of this bounty and enthusiasm”.
Raymond is always keen to encourage the younger generation to develop a love of good food and quality ingredients through cooking. This passion for cooking is shared by the girls at The Royal High School, which offers Food Technology and Home Economics to encourage its students to learn more about nutrition, sustainability, the importance of local sourcing and of course how to use their talents to create delicious dishes.
