Busy Bees held the cookery competition to promote its nursery catering apprenticeships in the city.
The winner was 14-year-old student Tre Whitelock from Wheelers Lane Technology College for his chocolate and orange tart.
Michelin-starred chef Luke Tipping, who judged the competition, praised ‘the focus and dedication of each of the young chefs’.
The nursery chain currently trains 42 apprentices in Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeships in Catering and Professional Chefs, with five graduates since it started in September last year.
The special nursery-focused cooking qualification is run from Busy Bees Early Years Training Academy, with the apprentices based on-site at nurseries across the country.
The 14-month course is targeted at 16-year-old school leavers and includes topics such as planning meals to help a weaning child and to contribute to a child’s healthy development.
Fay Gibbin, training manager at the academy, said, 'Busy Bees Training currently offers catering apprenticeships throughout our nurseries, and will soon offer to external independent settings, so we know the level of creativity and passion young people can bring to the industry.
‘We wanted to hold an incentive that would encourage the spark of interest food technology students have in catering, and offer them the chance to take part in a fun and creative activity that would provide them with an exciting learning experience.’
Fom left to right, finalists D'Wayne Campbell, George Cartwright, Daniel Emery, and Tre Whitelock, with chef Luke Tipping
