Brechin Young Farmers Win Scotch Kitchen Country Cook Comp

Two teams of young farmers proved unflappable when the heat was on at Saturday’s final of the Scotch Kitchen Country Cook competition at the Royal Highland Show.

Brechin club, represented by Emily Baillie and Jodie Jackson, emerged as the overall winner in the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs national competition.

Close behind was the other finalist team, comprised of Sarah Jane and Kirsty Warnock, members of the Stirling, Strathendrick and Strathkelvin Young Farmers Club,

Final judge chef Jak O’Donnell of The Sisters Restaurants in Glasgow, said she was extremely impressed with the culinary talent and ambition shown by both teams.

The final, hosted by Quality Meat Scotland at the Royal Highland Show, saw the two teams challenged to create a main dish in one hour using Scotch Beef PGI and a selection of mystery ingredients.

They were judged on taste, teamwork, technical skills and the appearance of the dish.

The final saw the culmination of a series of regional heats held throughout Scotland. Four finalist teams then competed in front of a crowd of spectators in live cook-offs at the QMS stand of the Royal Highland Show on Thursday and Friday, before the final on Saturday.

“We were delighted to work with SAYFC and support the Scotch Kitchen Country Cook competition, particularly in 2018, Scotland’s Year of Young People,” said Carol McLaren, QMS Director of Marketing and Communications.

“It was a brilliant activity to be involved in which created a huge buzz our Royal Highland Show stand. It is great to see so many young people taking pride in the Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork brands. They also showed just how versatile the brands are and how simple it is to make quick, tasty dishes using quality beef, lamb and pork.”

Penny Montgomerie, SAYFC Chief Executive, said: “We were delighted to partner with QMS for the Scotch Kitchen Country Cook competition which was a great opportunity for our members to both show-off their cooking skills and show their support for the Scottish livestock industry brands.”