Express News Service
CHENNAI:Armed with ladles and knifes, dressed in checked aprons and hats, 16 kids whipped up a storm at Forum Junior Chef Champ 2018, the grand finale of the cooking competition, on Sunday. The prelims of the competition were held is six Forum Malls in five cities. Over 150 participants, in tow categories — 7-10 years and 11-15 years — registered for the prelims in Chennai held from May 5 to may 10, where they had to prepare any number of dishes in an hour.
The main motive of the event was to give kids an opportunity unleash their inner talents and develop their cooking skills. The chief guest of the event was celebrity chef Damodaran, aka chef Damu, who holds a Guinness Record for the longest cooking marathon. "Such initiatives help children build self-confidence, develop their imagination, be independent, and sharpen their skills," he said.
The participants were accompanied by their family and excitement was writ large on everyone's faces. M Shakthi Karthik, mother of Manisha, one of the finalists said, "I have always supported her in her cooking adventures. She has been interested in cooking since she was 3 years old. She used to give me a lot of ideas about how dishes can be recreated. This event has given her the confidence that she can hold her own if she has to be away from family."
Samyuktha Chandrashekar, a nine-year-old participant said, “I have been cooking for past three-four years. I watch cookery shows with my dad and read cook books as cooking is my passion. I always Google recipes, read about ingredients, and cook whenever I find time.”
The winners of Junior Chef Champ 2018 were Manisha Karthik (7-10 years) and Surya Vinoth (11-15 years).
