A promising young chef who has her sights on working in fine dining has landed a place in the final of a top level cooking competition that has the potential to launch her career.
Ruby Goodens, from Brough, is one of just 16 chefs from a field of 700 to make it to the final of Le Cordon Bleu Scholarship. The winner of the prestigious programme will scoop a prize package worth £90,000 and including a Grand Diplôme scholarship, mentorship, and a three-month internship at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu – a world renowned cookery school.
The 18 year-old, who studies at East Riding College while working full time in the kitchens of Cave Castle Hotel, impressed London judges in the recent semi-finals, where she was put through her paces with taste tests, interviews and quizzes. Now she is set to return to the capital where she’ll face a culinary challenge set by Le Cordon Bleu Master Chefs and judged by top industry names including Emily Roux of Caractère, Chris Galvin from Galvin Restaurants, Nicolas Houchet from The Savoy and Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Director Emil Minev.
Ruby, who is due to finish her apprenticeship in September and is the only female on her course, said: “I applied for Le Cordon Bleu, not thinking much of it – didn’t tell anyone and actually forgot about it. And then they wanted me in the semi-finals!” She already has a number of culinary accomplishments under her belt, including reaching the finals of the Nestlé Torque D’Or and second place in the UNOX CombiGuru competition.
Ruby describes helping her family cook at Christmas and peeling potatoes with her grandma that sparked her interest in food. She studied Business and Criminology at A Level before getting a pot washing job at The Half Moon pub in Elloughton that eventually led to her trying her hand in the kitchen.
(Image: Le Cordon Bleu)
In an interview with semi-final judges, Ruby highlighted the relative lack of fine dining training opportunities in and around Hull, explaining her passion for the job. She said: “I’ve got a few friends in London and there’s places like The Savoy, The Ivy – these amazing places that are just on the doorstep but for me, the closest places are probably Leeds or Manchester.
“It would be absolutely career changing to win because of the opportunities that would be right on my doorstep, the people that I could meet and the network that I could make would be unmatched.”
Ruby is now vying for the top prize, with finals taking place in early September. She will face competition from across the country.
Last year’s winner, Caoimhe O’Neill-McGuinness, who is now studying at Le Cordon Bleu London, described the experience as “life-changing”. Emil Minev, culinary arts director at Le Cordon Bleu London, said: “This year’s competition has already showcased an inspiring level of talent. The semi-finalists performed incredibly well, and narrowing down to just 16 finalists was no easy task. We look forward to welcoming them back for the grand final in September and seeing them rise to the next challenge.”