FutureChef crowns 2020 winner

Springboard’s FutureChef recently crowned 16-year-old Jodie Cochrane from Glasgow its 2020 winner.

Springboard’s FutureChef recently crowned 16-year-old Jodie Cochrane from Glasgow its 2020 winner. She beat 11 other contestants to the coveted title, wowing the judges with her main of steamed chicken supreme with stuffed tomatoes, vegetables and spätzle, served with a wholegrain mustard cream sauce.

Cochrane said: “It’s amazing, I can’t stop smiling! It was so enjoyable, more fun than stress. Just such a great experience. I would never in a million years have thought I could win.”

David Mulcahy, food development and innovation director for Sodexo UK and Ireland, added: “As a long-term sponsor of FutureChef, we are delighted to support this vital initiative. Each year we are astonished and delighted at the high level of skills and passion from chefs so young.

“We look forward to welcoming Jodie to the famous Royal Henley Regatta this summer. Becoming a Springboard business partner has given Sodexo’s chefs an extra opportunity to demonstrate their skills and communicate their passion to young people who, we hope, will be inspired to follow in their footsteps.”

2020 marks the 20th year of FutureChef, which has now expanded to become a nationwide programme. The competition consists of four rounds, with schools, local, regional and national finals. This year saw 15,358 students involved in the competition from the earliest stages, whittled down to the 12 chefs who competed in the final.

It has been announced that 2021 will open up even more opportunities to the thousands of students who take part. The competition will be split into into two age groups: one for 11- to 14-year-olds and another for 14- to 16-year-olds.