Rookies bake best pavs

3 December 2013

Rookies bake best pavs

In Mt Eden, the youngsters know a thing or two about our national dessert.

All three winners of the 5th annual Nosh Pavlova Competition at Mt Eden are 16 or younger – and two of them are students at Epsom Girls Grammar.

Jada Mandery (15) from Parnell has won the adult category with a traditional pavlova recipe topped off with seasonal fresh fruit including blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and cream. She entered the competition after hearing about it at school.

Sixteen year-old Claudia Frew’s creation was a rosewater meringue with pomegranate cream, topped with fresh raspberries, pomegranate seeds and rose petals. She won the alternative category.

Both young ladies are from Epsom Girls Grammar.

Claudia lives in Mt Eden and hosts her own baking blog called claudiescakery.blogspot.co.nz, aspiring one day to own a bakery or release her own cook book.

The winner of the children’s category for people 14 and younger is Nia Cherrington (10) whose pav was a “gorgeous” creation topped with cream, blueberries, strawberries and passion fruit.

It was Nia’s first ever cooking competition. She lives in Blockhouse Bay and goes to Newton Central Primary school. Pauline Senior from Oratia, who won the adult category in the 2012 Nosh Pavlova Competition, was third in this year’s alternative category in Mt Eden.

The competition was held in two venues and across the bridge at Nosh in Constellation Drive (Mairangi Bay) the winners were Carolyn Russell (adult), Isabella Sole (14 & younger) and Fiona Corking in the alternative category.

Lauraine Jacobs was co-judge with Nici Wickes in Mt Eden and she says they were both very impressed with quality of the entries.

“From a food writer’s point of view we were tremendously encouraged by the standard of entries. That is particularly so when we’re trying very hard to get young people to understand the value of being the kitchen.

“The pavlova is not easy to cook and I’d go as far to say the future is very exciting from the aspect of encouraging young people to put on a pinny and give it a go – long live the pav,” Lauraine says.

Nosh Food Market CEO Hayden Syers says the interest in the competition is testament to the fact the pav is still well and truly a Kiwi summer favourite.

“I imagine we all have summer stories about champion pavs or ones that fell flat or crumbled into nothingness – they are simply part of our festive season heritage.

“Here at Nosh we love running the competition and, like Lauraine and Nici, I am thrilled we are getting such great support from the youngsters.”

And the winners are:

Mt Eden

Adult

1. Jada Mandery,

2. Monique Elven

3. Michaela Casey

Alternative

1. Claudia Frew

2. Courtney Anderson

3. Pauline Senior – (came 1st in adults category last year)

Kids

1. Nia Cherrington

2. Rebecca Fong

3. Emma Harkness

Constellation Drive

Adult

1. Carolyn Russell

2. Mary Wood

3. Catherine MacGregor

Alternative

1. Fiona Corkin

2. Yvonne Hansen

3. Diane House

Kids

1. Isabella Sole

2. Alana Herd

Each winner in the adult category receives a Kenwood KMM020 stand mixer valued at $1,500. The winners of the children’s section take home the mini-chef a Kenwood HM807 hand mixer worth $150. First place in the alternative category gets each winner a Kenwood KMX97 K-Mix stand mixer valued at $780.

Second place-getters in each category win a year’s supply of Craddock Farm free-range eggs consisting of a half dozen eggs per week for one year and valued at $230. Third place winners of each category each earn a $70 Equagold Vanilla prize pack.

About Nosh:

Nosh Food Market presents a new market-style concept in food shopping bringing together the authenticity and expertise of butchery, bakery, delicatessen, the greengrocer and more under one roof. Nosh focuses on quality fresh food and produce at affordable market prices appealing to modern household shoppers. It employs qualified, food-loving people, all experts in fresh produce who enhance the Nosh shopping experience. Nosh stores are located in Glen Innes, Greenlane, Mt Eden, Ponsonby, Mairangi Bay, Matakana, Hamilton & Mt Maunganui. The Nosh Food Market was established in 2006.

Nosh Auckland stores were in November 2013 voted Best Specialist Food Store by Metro Magazine readers and Waikato Times Tempo readers voted Nosh Hamilton Best Specialty Food Supplier.

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