Does she ‘Haf’ what it takes?

Talented Mid Wales schoolgirl Haf Jones is hoping to cook up a recipe for success when she competes in the FutureChef Wales regional final.

 

Haf, 14, a pupil of Caereinion High School, Llanfair Caereinion, has already won school and county heats to reach the regional final at Neath and Port Talbot College on February 9, where the winner go through to the national final in London in March.

 

She is following in the footsteps of fellow Caereinion High School pupil Ffion Evans who became Welsh champion and clinched fifth place in the was FutureChef UK last year.

 

FutureChef forms part of Springboard’s high-profile national schools programme and is a four-staged nationwide culinary programme helping young people aged 12-16 to learn to cook. It inspires them to explore food and cooking as a life skill, helps develop their culinary talent and informs them about entry routes into the hospitality industry.

 

Haf, who lives in Llanfair Caereinion, is being supported by her GCSE catering and hospitality teacher Sue Miller Jones and her mentor, leading Welsh chef Nick Davies, a director of Cambrian Training Company, Welshpool and a gold medal winning member of the Welsh National Culinary Team.

 

“I am very happy and now hope to goon and win the next round,” she said. “Nick has been a big help and I have learnt so many new skills on how to prepare and present food properly.”

 

Mr Davies has been impressed by Haf’s eagerness to learn and dedication to practicing.

 

“Haf is another fine example of a competent young chef from Caereinion High School,” he said. “She listens, takes onboard everything that she is told and practices really hard    .

 

“Winning the county heat has boosted her confidence and I have no doubt that she has the capabilities of making a good quality chef.”

 

In the regional final, held at Coleg Powys, Newtown, she cooked two, well executed dishes in 90 minutes, which impressed the judges.

 

Her main course was pan-fried chicken stuffed with Welsh goat’s cheese and leeks, thyme fondant potatoes, celeriac puree, cream of woodland mushrooms, sauteed pak choi and raisin and port jus.

 

Dessert was warm banana and hazelnut steam pudding with lemon curd ice cream and blackberry compote and rum butterscotch sauce.

 

Haf will cook the same menu in the Welsh heat but plans to make a few changes to the perfect the dishes and her skills.