Scottish School Cook of The Year 2015 launched 

ASSIST FM is once again delighted to announce the fourth year of the Scottish school cook of the year competition. We are very grateful to our sponsor, Müller Wiseman for their support of our organisation and for their continued sponsorship of this competition.

ASSIST FM IS ONCE AGAIN DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE FOURTH YEAR OF THE SCOTTISH SCHOOL COOK OF THE YEAR COMPETITION.WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO OUR SPONSOR, MüLLER WISEMAN FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR ORGANISATION AND FOR THEIR CONTINUED SPONSORSHIP OF THIS COMPETITION.

Scottish School Cook of the Year has grown in stature and has become a very popular and permanent fixture within the ASSIST FM Calendar of events. The Scottish School Cook of the Year Working Group has aimed to keep the mechanics of the competition as straightforward as possible and have enlisted the help of relevant experts when refining the judging criteria. We would urge you to read all of the competition rules and judging criteria carefully as some changes have been made to ensure a consistent approach throughout every stage of the competition. New: This year, due to the high standard of dishes in previous years, we have introduced recognition for ‘Best Main Course’ and ‘Best Dessert’. New for 2015 only: As 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, the Scottish government and ASSIST are working together on a calendar of Scottish food related events to be held throughout 2015 by local authorities. As a result of this, a decision has been taken for SSCOTY 2015, that all entrants must include an item of Scottish produce in both the main course and dessert.ASSIST is delighted to announce that a HIT Scotland scholarship will be provided for the winner of the ASSIST Scottish School Cook of The Year contest each year. As a scholar, the winner will spend time working in an operational area or on a structured programme, allowing them to gain valuable knowledge, insight and confidence to get to the next level in their career. Please note that the winner must be not only be willing to take up the scholarship but should also have the commitment of their Local Authority to allow them the necessary time commitment prior to entering the competition.

Joe Queen the main Chef Judge of our national final said, “I have judged many competitions but the standard of this competition remains absolutely fantastic. Not only did all the competitors display superb working practices but their skills for creating such great tasting food on such a tight budget is testament to the skill set that exists throughout many Scottish schools. It is something we should be very proud of.”The overall aim of the competition is to raise the profile of the School Meals Sector in Scotland and to highlight the skills of those who are working hard on the front line of service delivery on a daily basis – can your authority afford not to be a part of this fantastic competition? We aim to give participating authorities as much support as possible and as National Chair I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best of luck and look forward to receiving all of your entries.