Rising star makes finals of major cookery comp
Tuesday 16th March 2021
A talented student chef has reached the final of a national culinary competition which aims to find the next great gastronomic pioneer.
Brannon Underwood is one of 12 finalists in the prestigious Zest Quest Asia Tilda Challenge, the virtual spin-off to Zest Quest Asia, the national student culinary competition founded by restaurateurs, Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala, with the Master Chefs of Great Britain.
Brannon, 18, of Ravenstone, Leicester, has made the final after beating competition from more than 90 entries from two dozen colleges around the UK.
During the heats, he wowed judges with an Indonesian curry dish of mackerel Gulai with Tilda jasmine rice fried with crab and will now face fellow finalists at a live, online cook-off to be held in the kitchens of their respective colleges on 31st March 2021.
Brannon said: “I’m over the moon to have been selected for the final of Zest Quest Asia. Last year I was in the final but it was a team event. Whilst it was superb, this really is next level pressure doing it on my own. I did a Zest Quest Asia upskill day about 18 months ago and have been hooked on that style of cooking ever since. I have learned so much about the cuisine of Asia during my time researching dishes and I can’t wait to represent the college in the final.”
Darren Creed, hospitality and catering curriculum manager at Loughborough College said: “Brannon continues to go from strength to strength and we’re so proud of his achievements. He has truly found his niche as a talented chef and I’m incredibly excited to see how he gets on in the final.”
A total of seven cuisines were represented in the beautifully assembled, often complex dishes created by the finalists - Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, Filipino, Korean, and Thai.
Judge Cyrus Todiwala said: “I would like to congratulate all of our Zest Quest Asia Tilda Challenge finalists. In terms of the entries themselves, I am delighted that so many students were committed to researching the origins of their dishes and were striving for both creativity and authenticity.”
Brannon is a multi-award winning young chef who has blossomed at Loughborough College after being branded ‘unteachable’ while at school. You can find out more about Brannon’s inspirational story here.
Picture: Zest Quest Asia 2020 - January
