The Tribune

Aspiring Chef Selva Hudson of NGM Major High School in Long Island emerged as winner of the National All-Island Junior Young Chef competition sponsored by Mahatma Rice and Robin Hood Flour.

In winning the 2014 overall junior championship, Selva scored 357 points for the Best Robin Hood Flour dish, “Finger Licking Turbot & Vegetable Pattie”, and 358 points for the Best Mahatma Rice with his “Yummy Tropical Fruits Upside-Down Rice Cake”.

Placing second overall was Allie Pinder, seventh grader at Spanish Wells All-Age, Eleuthera, with 322 points for “Pumpkin Rice with Ginger Conch” and 328 points for her “Guava Bars with Orange Whipped Cream”.

Third place went to Leandria Albury of Inagua All-Age School, with 333 points for her “Lobster Lasagna Cupcakes” and 311 points for her “Tropical Rice Pudding Smoothie”.

Maygan St Claude of S C Bootle, Abaco, placed forth scoring 327 for her Mahatma Rice dish, “Abaco Coco Loco Rice”, and 308 for her Robin Hood Flour dish, “Mom and Pap Muffin”.

Judges at the junior contest were: Seanette Cooper, Sandals Hotel; Devain Maycock; College of the Bahamas; Keisha Bonimy, D W Davis School; Debbie Wheeler, Mahatma Rice.

Chef Bonimy said: “The students have incredible skills and are surely going to excel with the skills they acquired thus far.”

The sponsors’ products, Mahatma Rice and Robin Hood Flour, are distributed in the Bahamas by Asa H Pritchard.

In addition to providing almost $4,000 in prizes each year for the junior and senior competition, the sponsors also provide transportation to Nassau for each contestant with his or her teacher/coach and cash stipends for teachers and contestants to assist with the purchase of supplies.

Keith Parker, president of PS Advertising and Public Relations, founded the Young Chef contest in 1992 and continues to organise the competition each year in cooperation with Sharon Ferguson of the Ministry of Education.