Budding chef Paige Nicholls has made Battle of the Snack history, taking out both Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice at a packed event at Saltwater, Mount Maunganui.
Working under mentor Ian Harrison of The Grocer, with whom she shared the double win, Nicholls became the first mentee in the competition’s four-year history to claim the two top honours for the snack platters she created on the night.
Nicholls’ Spice Girls snack – featuring a cauliflower bhaji, apple kasundi, coriander and jalapeño aioli, pickled onions, and mint – tickled the taste buds of event host Cuisine editor/owner Kelli Brett, who declared it the Judge’s Choice winner.
Harrison said Nicholls’ determination to create a deep-fried snack was an interesting choice, but when his wife tested a sample before the event and declared it a “banger”, he was convinced they might have a winning recipe.
Diners’ votes determined the event’s People’s Choice winner, with Nicholls’ Bambi – a Venison Wellington spring roll, portobello, walnut and truffle mousse, spinach, prosciutto and blackberry fluid gel snack – proving the most popular.
“I just tried to come up with something really yum, and here we are!” Paige said as she stood in front of the crowd to accept her double-award win.
Paige Nicholls, centre, during the winning announcement. Photo / Tourism Bay of Plenty
Brett said Nicholls and Harrison had followed the brief to produce bite-sized snacks. Other entries lost marks if they were tricky to eat due to their larger size.
Brett congratulated all mentees and mentors for their Battle of the Snack efforts, highlighting the way they had supported each other to professionally create and present 2000 event snacks in just a few hours.
All four mentee chefs – John Trongoy, Paige Nicholls, Giancarlos Burrows, and Pfeifer McIntyre – will now feature in an upcoming edition of Cuisine magazine.
Event chef mentors and mentees. Photo / Tourism Bay of Plenty
The annual Flavours of Plenty Festival runs from April 16 to May 3, featuring more than 50 different foodie events across the Coastal Bay of Plenty, from Waihī Beach to Ōhope.
It’s the fifth year the award-winning festival has been held.
Further information is available here: https://flavoursofplentyfestival.com/