A Forth Valley College HNC Patisserie student feels making the final of the Young Pastry Chef of the Year 2024 competition is the icing on the cake of his baking journey so far.
Jack Eadie (21) from Larbert is one of only eight finalists to be selected – from 32 entrants across the UK – for the prestigious event to be held at University College Birmingham on Tuesday 18 June.
Jack – who is up against other young chefs from high profile universities and restaurant’s such as The Ritz – said: “This is an opportunity very few students get a chance to take part in. I feel privileged to be one of only eight young chefs to reach the final this year, but I am really looking forward to it with a mixture of nervous excitement and adrenaline!”
Jack, who has worked his way through Level 2 and 3 professional Cookery, and NC Bakery courses at Forth Valley College, had to send photos of four different desserts to be judged by the experts and was selected for the final.
Now he is gearing up for a marathon five and a half hour final session to prepare those very same dishes live at University College Birmingham in June, to see if he can claim the top prize. The Young Pastry Chef of the Year is the brainchild of four culinary organisations the Association of Pastry Chefs, British Culinary Federation, Craft Guild of Chefs and Disciples of Escoffier, whose mission statement is “A Passion to Inspire”.
Judged by Claire Clark, Thomas Leatherbarrow, Shona Sutherland, Michelle Gilliot Stuart McLeod, Barry Johnson and Daniel Ayton, the competition is open to any pastry chef aged 23 years and under, who should be actively working in a hotel or restaurant kitchen, banqueting, college student or within any corporate/event catering environment.
Jack added: “I am trying to be the best pastry chef that I can be and this is a very good opportunity to test out my skill set, which I have worked very hard to achieve. I am going to give it the best go I can.
“Forth Valley College has helped me massively. I enjoyed cooking before I started attending the College, but lecturers such as Mandy Fraser, Martin Rodgers and George Scott, have been great influences and have helped me develop so much.
“I would recommend the College 100% to anyone looking to make their way in the hospitality industry. I hope one day to open my own patisserie shop specialising in classic French baking, and this course and the College has laid the foundations for me doing that.”
Karyn King, Operations Manager in the Department of Creative, Digital and Leisure Industries, said: “Jack has done fantastically well to get to the final of this prestigious competition. We are all right behind him as he prepares for the event in Birmingham and are sure he will do himself and the College proud.”