Celebrating record success at national culinary competition

Norse Group is celebrating the outstanding success of its catering team after they won an impressive eight medals and five Best in Class trophies at the Finishing Touches culinary competition.

The competition took place on 8 July at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole at the NEC as part of The School Food Show and Forum in association with the Craft Guild of Chefs.

This year’s event featured 14 classes, including six brand new categories. Four talented members of Norse Group’s catering team demonstrated exceptional creativity and technical skill, showcasing talents that they do not always have the opportunity to demonstrate in their day-to-day roles.

Experienced competitor Nikki Barnard, Cook Manager at Queen’s Hill Primary School, received three Best in Class trophies, alongside one silver and two bronze medals. Her entries included a nut free Bakewell tart, coffee éclairs in the Choux Pastry category, and Fishy Friday, created for the Flat Bas Relief Plaque category.

Amanda Walsh, Mobile Cook, also enjoyed an outstanding competition, winning a silver medal and Best in Class for her Lemon Meringue Cheesecake. She also earned a bronze medal in the Preserves category for her Raspberry Jam with Lemon Biscuits.

Mobile Cook Tania Machado continued her impressive competition record by achieving a silver medal and Best in Class for her Mediterranean Vegetable Quiche. She was also awarded a bronze medal for her Apple and Blueberry Cheesecake Slice in the Traybake category.

Making her Finishing Touches competition debut, Charlie Spanton secured a bronze medal in the Muffin category with three flavours: chocolate and orange, carrot crumble, and strawberry cheesecake.

The team’s remarkable haul of five Best in Class trophies marks the strongest performance by Norse Group’s catering team at the competition to date, reflecting the passion, dedication and creativity of colleagues across the service.

Craig Neale, Operations Director, said:

“These results are a fantastic achievement and reflect the talent, dedication and professionalism of our catering teams. Every entry represented hours of planning, preparation and practice, and to come away with five Best in Class trophies is an outstanding accomplishment. I’m incredibly proud of Nikki, Mandy, Tania and Charlie for representing Norse Group so brilliantly on the national stage.”

Congratulations to Nikki, Mandy, Tania and Charlie on their success, and for once again showcasing the exceptional talent within Norse Group’s catering team.