Ukraine teen who now lives in Lancashire crowned winner of cooking competition to find the region’s most talented young chef

Diana Kysheniuk, 15, from Ormskirk High School, beat tough competition from 306 students who registered to take part in the North West and will now head to London in March to represent this area in the UK-wide Springboard FutureChef 2023 National Final.

Diana won her spot after impressing the judges with her cooking skills during the competition hosted at St Helens College on 11 January 2023.

Three young teenagers went head-to-head in the regional final, receiving just 90 minutes to prepare a main course and a dessert. The dishes were judged by a panel of industry professionals, including Hilton’s Stuart Duff, BaxterStorey’s Chris Watson-Gunby Gunby, and Wellocks’ Leigh Myers and Martin Evans - with Diana blowing judges away with her Varenyki dish, which are traditional Ukrainian dumplings.

Diana said: “The competition was very exciting and interesting for me because I would never have thought that after a few months of moving from Ukraine to Great Britain, I would already be taking part in competitions and being active! I was full of emotions and a little nervous. My dreams are based on life experience, and until recently, I had no idea I would have such a desire to become a chef and create miracles in the kitchen.

"Cooking is like a work of art, where you put your vision and love into the food, and then it turns out very tasty and beautiful. At the moment, I am the North West regional winner - and I am looking forward to going to London in March, where I will try hard and dream of becoming the winner.”

Aiming to find the UK’s best young chefs and up-and-coming industry stars, FutureChef is an initiative from Springboard - a charity committed to nurturing young talent and promoting hospitality as a great sector to work in.

Chris Gamm, CEO of Springboard, said: “The hospitality industry continues to face numerous challenges, including recruitment and false stereotypes that circulate the industry. It is more important than ever to keep the prospect of a career in hospitality at the forefront of the minds of students, teachers, and parents, and the Springboard FutureChef competition has proven very successful in doing this.

“By introducing young talent to the world of hospitality and allowing them to experience the level of creativity that comes with it, the competition has enabled many talented young individuals to enter the industry and discover their passions for what the sector offers.”

Throughout the competition, participants are mentored and judged by all-star FutureChef champions and supporters, including Michelin Star chef Shaun Rankin. With over 35 years in the sector, Shaun’s wealth of expertise places him in the perfect position to guide the upcoming generation of hospitality starts into a career of success.

Diana’s mentor, James Holden of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, said: “Mentoring Diana in preparation for the final allowed me to see how determined, enthusiastic, and eager to learn she is. It was great to see her confidence grow over three mentoring sessions and the amazing dishes she created as a result.”