Teacher gets top marks winning national Chinese cookery competition

A Crewe schoolteacher is in a class of her own when it comes to Chinese cookery after winning a national competition and trip to Hong Kong.

Sara Randle, who works at Sir William Stanier School, has been celebrating success after winning a prestigious Chinese cooking competition for teachers.

Sara first took part in a Chinese cooking training course for teachers in October. The training sessions were held around the country, with up to 15 teachers taking part in each workshop and six workshops taking place in total.

The programme was delivered by Lee Kum Kee, the renowned producer of authentic Chinese sauces and ingredients.

During the sessions, teachers learnt how to prepare a variety of authentic Chinese dishes while also exploring Chinese ingredients, cooking techniques and the cultural origins behind the cuisine.

As part of the course, teachers competed in a menu challenge, with winners earning a place in the national final.

To her surprise, Sara was selected to progress to the final competition in London.

During the national final, competitors were required to prepare both a set dish and a dish of their own choice, before presenting their work to the judges.

Sara chose to make chicken and prawn wonton noodle soup as her final dish.

Despite feeling overwhelmed by the exceptionally high standard of cooking on display, Sara was delighted to be announced as one of the winners.

As part of her prize, she has won a culinary tour of Hong Kong this August, where she will have the opportunity to further explore Chinese cuisine and culture.

Sara said: “I was completely shocked to win. The standard was incredible and there were so many talented teachers taking part.

“It has been an amazing experience from start to finish and I am really excited for the culinary tour in Hong Kong.”

Staff and students at Sir William Stanier School have congratulated her on her fantastic achievement, which reflects her enthusiasm, creativity and passion for food education.