Masterchef - Challenge Accepted!
Olivia Cruse
Teacher - Food Studies
The aroma of sizzling spices and the clinking of pots and pans filled the air at Brunswick Secondary College on Monday 21st August as students from Years 10, 11 & 12 gathered for a culinary showdown.
The occasion was a thrilling MasterChef competition - featuring a Mystery Box of challenging ingredients. The excitement was palpable as students unveiled their mystery ingredients and transformed them into mouth-watering dishes.
The Mystery Box challenge really tests a student’s creativity and ability to adapt to face a challenge. It forces them to think on their feet, to make quick decisions, and come up with a cohesive dish that showcases the unique flavours of the ingredients on hand. This year, The Que Club contributed Tuscan Spice Mix as one of our ingredients, as well as supplying the prize pool.
The judges for the competition were none other than experts in the industry from local restaurant and community partner, The Que Club.
Fabio and Pam gave up their time to watch and mentor the students as they worked through the challenge, and then judged each dish on its flavour profile.
The students could not have asked for a more experienced and discerning panel of judges, and Fabio and Pam's presence on the day really contributed to the authenticity of the Masterchef experience.
We congratulate all participants who brought such commitment to excellence, teamwork and enthusiasm to make the event so enjoyable yet competitive.
In particular our winners deserve much applause, earning the Masterchef titles of:
| Placing | Students | Dish Delivered |
|---|---|---|
| First Place | Nicolas Krepis & Emily Wright | Gyros-style chicken with chilli and garlic wilted spinach, roasted mixed potatoes and Brazilian cheese bread |
| Second Place | Harry Lalor & Tameka Brown | Chocolate and Raspberry dome |
| Third Place | Albie Fredrickson & Sebastien Sexton- Bruce | Chicken Parmigiana |
Ivy Rodger & Sean McKenzie
Year 12 [This was the] best competition ever. [We] learned a lot and were especially humbled by the guest judges. [We] didn’t win, but the winners were well deserving. We made some great cupcakes though!
Emily Wright
Year 12
Competing in the MasterChef Competition was definitely an interesting experience; working under pressure and with limited resources was a new encounter. Working with Nick was difficult at times, and we definitely were thinking of ourselves as the underdogs the entire competition, but we made it work. We made a multicultural dish: Gyros-style chicken, chilli and garlic wilted spinach, roasted mixed potatoes and Brazilian cheese bread. In the end, we came out on top, which we weren’t expecting! The judges commented that our flavour profiles were excellent, and the meal was overall very nutritious, which were our goals.
Nicholas Krepis
Year 12
Competing in the MasterChef competition allowed us to express our culinary passion and style in a competitive environment. We were honoured to be in the same vicinity and taking tips by two very experienced people in the food industry thus making a learning experience that was vastly enjoyable.