The recipe for success: Talented Crieff teen wins Rotary Young Chef Competition

Taking inspiration from the flavours of Italy, Rowan whipped up a tagliatelle Sorrentine for his main, a seafood pasta dish cooked in a rich tomato sauce, followed by a mouth-watering Amalfi limone syllabub. Rowan further wowed the judges by serving his winning meal with a refreshing, homemade lemon cordial.

Sponsored by his local Rotary club in Crieff, Rowan’s path to victory saw him triumph in a series of qualifying rounds, including district and regional finals. In the grand final itself, Rowan had just two hours to prepare and serve his winning dish, which was judged by Lisa Mullins, marketing manager for Filippo Berio and a long-time supporter of Rotary Young Chef, and Elaine Wroblewska, catering lecturer at the Heart of Worcestershire College.

As winner, Rowan will enjoy a trip to Tuscany courtesy of Filippo Berio, where he will visit the prestigious Toscana Saporita cookery school and enjoy a number of foodie excursions.

A spokesperson from Rotary Crieff said: “We’d like to extend our biggest congratulations to Rowan for being named Rotary Young Chef 2024. His passion for food really shone through, and his mouth-watering creations wouldn’t be out of place on the menu for a top restaurant. We hope he enjoys his well-deserved trip to Tuscany!”

For more than 15 years, the Rotary Young Chef competition has been shining a spotlight on some of Great Britain and Ireland’s brightest culinary talent. Open to young people aged 11-17, each year the competition garners hundreds of entrants, nominated by Rotary Clubs across the two countries.

Find out more about Rotary’s competitions and programmes for young people at www.rotarygbi.org.