10 August 2009
Resident cooking competition is a recipe for success
A Shard End resident has been showcasing her culinary skills in a ready, steady, cook style competition in Worcester run by affordable housing provider West Mercia Housing Group.
The event saw two residents from the west midlands cook their prize dishes in the hope of winning the title of master chef after being shortlisted from 14 entrants.
The competition, which took place at Regency High School in Worcester, was run following residents’ suggestions to promote how easy it is to cook healthy food. Residents submitted their favourite recipes for the chance to compete in the kitchen and have their recipe published in one of the group’s residents’ newsletters.
Kemble Housing resident Amanda Taylor, age 37, of Bredon Drive, King’s Acre, Hereford, was crowned as the chef of the day for scoring 84 out of 90 for her rhubarb crumble, whilst Harden Housing Association resident Enayat Ewiss, age 33, of Longmeadow Crescent, Shard End, Birmingham, came a close second scoring 82 for her Eygptian dish of minced meat, cabbage and rice, known as maheshy.
Winner Amanda said: “It was fun day and I’m really pleased with my prize of a food processor and saucepan set. As I have three children there are always hungry mouths to feed at home so these will really come in handy.
“We grow fruit and vegetables in our allotment and I chose rhubarb crumble because it has become a family favourite. My boys often help me to make it as it’s quite a simple recipe – I hope other people enjoy it as much as we do.”
Runner up Enayat, who won £50 Marks and Spencer vouchers, added: “I love to introduce people to food from my home country and this is one of our most popular dishes. I never imagined that I would be selected for the competition; it was a lovely experience. I enjoyed meeting new faces and seeing resident ideas brought to life by West Mercia Housing Group staff.”
The dishes were judged by a tasting panel comprising housing association staff and resident board member Keith Beck.
He said: “Listening to residents and acting on their ideas is an important part of the service that West Mercia Housing Group provides and events such as these help to bring people together.
“With this event, we wanted to encourage people to make healthy, homecooked food and I’m pleased to say both dishes were amazingly tasty. I hope other people will be inspired to try out these recipes with their friends and families.
“I would like to thank both finalists for taking part and congratulate Amanda for winning the competition and cooking the best pudding I’ve ever tasted.”
Ends
Notes to Editors:
West Mercia Housing Group, based in Bromsgrove, manages approximately 23,500 homes across the West Midlands, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
, based in Bromsgrove, manages approximately 23,500 homes across the West Midlands, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
The group is structured to facilitate local accountability and the provision of high quality local services.
Founded in 1998, the group consists of Whitefriars Housing Group, Harden Housing Association, Nexus Housing, Kemble Housing and Herefordshire Supported Housing for Young People Project (SHYPP).
West Mercia Housing Group is a development partner with the Homes and Communities Agency. It is the lead member of the Spectrum Development Partnership that consists of Advance Housing Association, Bromsgrove District Housing Trust, Central & Cecil, Central Borders Housing Group, Heantun Housing Association, Herefordshire Housing, Nehemiah UCHA, Stafford and Rural Homes and Severnside Housing.
For further information please contact Val Hunt or Nikki Cheung, at The Bridge Group, on 024 7656 0440, or v.hunt@bridge-group.co.uk