UK bronze medal helped Caitlin’s confidence in her skills

This competition is a test of the quality of skills of students and apprentices across the whole of the UK in a range of industry sectors.

Caitlin, from Moriah, competed with eight other students in two eight-hour days of competition tasks. 

As part of the competition task, the 17-year-old was given a menu to create which included pork stroganoff, pan-fried seabass, ratatouille, shellfish bisque, dressed crab, chocolate souffle and a selection of classic French dishes. 

Competitors were not armed with recipes and they did not know what was going to be asked of them until they reached the competition, but they were given a fridge full of ingredients to complete the tasks. 

Caitlin Meredith said: “We were some of the youngest competitors there, so although it was nerve-wracking, we also felt that there was less pressure on us as we had time to develop our skills.

“I did not expect to win; when my name appeared, I couldn’t believe it but I’m so happy to bring back a bronze award as it was such a hard competition but I’m glad I’ve done it.

“I really enjoyed the awards evening where everyone dressed up and I was able to talk to lots of people in the industry.

“I feel a bit more confident and self-assured in my own abilities and I feel like I’ve grown in myself and can do more competition work.” 

Caitlin now has the opportunity of being selected for training by WorldSkills UK to compete with the top three winners of this year and last year’s culinary arts category.