Young Chef 2023 - Winner's Reward

Prize winning chef’s amazing Tuscan adventure

15-year-old Eimhear McGrath has just returned from an amazing trip to Tuscany after winning the Rotary Young Chef of the Year competition in April.  Eimhear was the winner of the Penrith heat, sponsored by The Rotary Club of Penrith, and then progressed through a number of rounds to win the Rotary National Final against competitors from all around the UK.  The national competition was sponsored by Filippo Berio and the prize was a trip to Toscano Saporita, a renowned cooking school in Tuscany.  Eimhear, who is just started year 11 at QEGs, and her mother Sarah, spent five days in Tuscany including two and a half days at the cooking school near Pisa.  They flew into Pisa where they were greeted by Enzo, the school’s driver, (and unofficial translator, story teller and tour guide) who drove them to Toscano Saporita where they started their adventure with a delicious 3 course Italian lunch.  After this they joined the other students for a trip to the walled city of Lucca where Sandra Rosy Lotti, founder and owner of the school, took Eimhear to visit some of the more traditional local produce stores.  After some amazing gelato they returned to the school for a delicious, traditional Italian five course dinner.

The second day of the trip started with a buffet breakfast and amazing cappuccinos, followed by a masterclass in pizza dough making.  Eimhear turned out to be a natural and her kneading technique resulted in her dough being awarded first prize during the blind judging by alumni senior instructor and chef at the school, Keith Di Lauro.  Eimhear and Sarah then went on to produce multi coloured ravioli which they filled with spinach and ricotta.  This was served with an amazing truffle butter for lunch and followed by Crème Brulee, Eimhear’s favourite desert. 

In the afternoon the group visited the fascinating studio and gallery of two marble artists in Seravzza.  They got to see one of the sculptors at work as well as having a private tour of the gallery by the other artist.  It was a real privilege and they saw some very beautiful pieces.  On the way back to the school they visited Pietrasanta where they sampled some of the local food and drink.  The day finished with grill night back at Toscano Saporita and a range of delicious food that you would not see on a typical British BBQ. 

On day three Eimhear and Sarah visited San Gimignano.  A beautiful and historic walled city with tower houses, where they were able to soak up the culture and enjoy gelato from World Champion, Gelateria Dondoli.  From here they travelled to a nearby vineyard for a wine tasting experience.  This was followed by a truffle hunt in the nearby forest.  Although the conditions were not ideal, as it was unseasonably hot, the dog did manage to find a few truffles.  Eimhear said that, “the smell was amazing, not like anything I have experienced before.”

They then returned to the school for a pizza night using the dough that they had prepared the day before.  The pizza oven was on a different scale to anything they have seen before and they both said that they could taste the difference in the dough which had been proved slowly in the fridge to give added flavour.  Later that evening Eimhear was presented with her graduation certificate and a special tin of Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil by Sandra. 

Day four saw Eimhear and Sarah say a sad farewell to Toscano Saporita as they boarded the train to travel to La Spezia.  Here they checked in to their hotel before heading down to the docks to get on a boat to Monterosso which is the largest and furthest away of the Cinque Terre (five towns).  This is the name given to five beautiful hillside villages on the Italian Riviera.  Until recently these villages could only be accessed by sea or train.  They remain beautiful and unspoilt and Eimhear and Sarah spent the day travelling between them by train, soaking up the authentic Italian atmosphere.  They had a delicious, local meat and cheese platter for lunch and watched the sun set over Riomaggiore at the end of the day after a dip in the sea, some local shopping and jumping off the rocks into the water at Mararola.

Finally, on day five, Sarah and Eimhear caught the train back to Pisa to finish their amazing trip.  Before their early evening flight, they managed to take in the sights of Pisa, have a delicious final Italian meal and visit the leaning tower.  As well as taking the obligatory photo of themselves holding up the tower they climbed to the top to see the amazing views and experience first-hand just how “leany” it is.

Eimhear and Sarah described it as a trip of a lifetime.  They are both extremely grateful to Sheila Monkhouse (Eimhear’s cooking teacher at QEGs), the Penrith Rotary Club and to Fillipo Berio for providing such an amazing opportunity.  The visit has renewed Eimhear’s passion for cooking and she was inspired by everyone at Toscano Saporita.  She said, “Everyone there was so welcoming, they made me feel part of the family.” And they have welcomed her to return should she decide to pursue a career in cooking.  Eimhear also learnt a lot about Italian food whilst there and got to try a range of foods that she has never had before, including her favourite meal of the visit which was semolina gnocchi with sausage and fennel ragu.