Over 200 young people participate in FDF Scotland lockdown food challenge
25 June 2020
To help keep pupils engaged with food education during lockdown, Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland challenged young people across Scotland to design an innovative street food dish that they and their families would love.
We were overwhelmed when over 200 young people across the length and breadth of Scotland took part. The standard of the entries submitted was extremely high which caused the judges to have the best kind of dilemma when choosing a winner.
FDF Scotland's Lockdown Lunch Challenge provided an opportunity for young people of all ages to use their creativity and imagination to create a new street food dish using products in their cupboards and fridges. We stipulated that the dish had to contain at least one item of local Scottish produce, contribute to at least one of their five a day, and appeal to their age group or family members.
Some young people submitted their own entries and a number of schools used the challenge to set pupils home schooling tasks from primary through to secondary level. Regardless of how the entries arrived it was clear that the young people had a lot of fun and were very engaged with the overall task.
As well as having fun cooking up a storm with their friends and families, the young people, their parents and their educators gained a better understanding of the food and drink industry. They learnt more about where food ingredients come from, the importance of a healthy balanced diet, how food is produced, and who is involved in making food available in their local shops and supermarkets. The young people also gained an insight into the skills needed to help them into a great career in food and drink.
As the standard was so high the judges couldn't pick just one overall winner and
12
winners were selected. Their dishes were: Scottish Steak Tacos with guacamole
and pea-shoot salad;
Fruity Cream Crepes; Lockdown Rainbow Salad in a Jar; Sirloin Tattie
“Sconewich”, Rainbow
Burritos; Summer Burrito seasoned with Scotland; Gyros Salad; Peow Chicken and
Swirly Wurlys;
Chicken and Pak Choi Ramen; Asian Stuffed Lettuce Leaves; Happy Haggis Finger
Parcels; and
Cajun Chicken with coriander and lime rice.
The FDF Scotland team is now taking on their own challenge - each recreating one or two of the winning dishes. It will be interesting to see if they can do as well as the young people did!
Moira Stalker, Skills Manager, FDF Scotland, said:
“Every year we are involved in many product development challenges with local schools, food and drink companies and industry partners. Due to the current situation we decided to launch a food challenge that students could take part in at home with their teachers and parents.
“I was overwhelmed by the number of entries we had and by the quality of the dishes the young people created. The creativity and innovation displayed was amazing. I can't wait to try some of the recipes in my own kitchen.”
The full list of winners and their street food dishes are:
| Name | Name of dish | School/area |
|---|---|---|
| Ava Martin | Scottish Steak Tacos with guacamole and pea-shoot salad | Shawlands Academy (Glasgow) |
| Caitlyn McDonald | Fruity Cream Crepes | Kilwinning Academy (North Ayrshire) |
| Cara MacKenzie | Lockdown Rainbow Salad in a Jar | Western Isles |
| Declan | Sirloin Tattie “Sconewich” | Merkland School(Kirkintilloch) |
| Grace Rae | Rainbow Burritos | Linlithgow Academy |
| Gregor Paley | Summer Burrito seasoned with Scotland | Linlithgow Academy |
| Igor Kozakiewicz | Gyros Salad | Parkhead Primary School(West Calder) |
| Jay Happell | Peow Peow Chicken and Swirly Wurlys | Glasgow |
| Jenna | Chicken and Pak Choi Ramen | Kilwinning Academy(North Ayrshire) |
| Nicole Howie | Asian Stuffed Lettuce Leaves | Duncanrigg High School (East Kilbride) |
| Shaun Cosgrove | Happy Haggis Finger Parcels | Cedarbank School(Livingston) |
Note to Editors:
- FDF Scotland is the voice of the Scottish food and drink manufacturing industry – Scotland's largest manufacturing sector.
- FDF Scotland's skills initiative - A Future in Food, funded by the Scottish Government through Scotland Food & Drink, helps teachers, pupils and parents better understand the food and drink industry in Scotland. It highlights the wide variety of careers on offer, helps pupils understand the skills required by employers and how the subjects they study in school relate to the real world of work.
Contact Kirsty Ritchie, Food and Drink Federation Scotland, at: kirsty.ritchie@fdfscotland.org.uk, or 0131 222 8040.
