Sweet treat for nursery chef shortlisted in national comp

A Norwich nursery chef has been announced as one of sixteen finalist in a national cooking competition.

Barry Baldwin, of Busy Bees nursery, based in the grounds of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, is a finalist in the Scrumptious Starters and Delicious Desserts competition that is being held across all of its 238 nurseries in the UK.

The competition, which is in its second year, aims to encourage Busy Bees' nursery chefs to create a starter or dessert that will be included in all Busy Bees Winter 2014 menus, using fresh and healthy ingredients.

Chefs were given an array of ingredients to use, including a variety of fruits and coconut for desserts, and then challenged to create the dish.

The 44-year-old has been a chef at the nursery for seven years and said he was excited to be chosen as a finalist in the competition. He created a raspberry and chocolate torte dish with the help of the pre-school children.

'We looked at all the ingredients we had and then created about four different dishes and decided what we would put in them and then we all had a vote,' he said.

'The torte is a very easy and classical dish and is simple for the children to help with as well. We hope this is a winning dish.

'It's great working with the children every day and to get them involved in this process. We think it's important for them to find out more about where their food comes from and how a dish is created, which makes my job even more special.'

Mr Baldwin beat more than fifty other entrants in the region to make it through to the final, which is going to be held at The Cooking School at Dean Clough, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Thursday July 17.

The finalists will be judged by a panel of experts including Marg Randles, founder and managing director, and Jane Sixsmith, director of Focus on Food.

• Have you been successful in a competition? Email reporter donna-louise.bishop@archant.co.uk or ring 01603 693892.