Co Tyrone teenager so excited to be crowned one of the best young chefs across the UK and Ireland

Superstar young chef Kristen Nugent says it was “so exciting” to be crowned as one of the best young chefs across the UK and Ireland.

The cooking prodigy from Killeeshil, County Tyrone recently won the Future Star NI heat before going on to claim the UK wide Springboard FutureChef competition.

“I’ve been cooking since I was no age. Since I was 2 or 3 I’ve been baking with my neighbours.”

After finishing as Northern Ireland’s Future Star runner-up last year, Kristen won the regional final before beating 11 of the best young chefs from across the UK in the national final.

The judges were wowed by her menu which included smoked and poached rainbow trout, citrus cured rillette, hens’ egg, chive mash, soused vegetables and herb butter sauce along with her rhubarb, vanilla panna cotta, granola crunch crumble and maple dessert.

“I got an extra year of mentoring and it helped a lot,” said Kristen.

Overseeing that mentoring was master chef James Devine.

“Competitions are very hard to win, especially on a national level but when you’ve got someone willing to listen it helps so much.”

The Dungannon-based chef said he could see the skill level of the teenager almost instantly.

“I knew from the early stages we had something special in Kristen. She put in a lot of hard work and it wasn’t really a surprise she won.

“When you have someone like Kristen it’s a lot easier. But our role is to just guide them and let them shine.”

As for the future, Kristen is hoping to pursue a career in cooking, but her immediate plans are closer to home.

“My dad has a commercial kitchen so I’m hoping to help there over the summer.”

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