Three teams of young people from across the capital went head-to-head last night, Wednesday 10 December, in the high-energy Grand Final of the Jack Petchey Taste the Future Cooking Challenge, powered by the Mayor’s Fund for London – a vibrant celebration of creativity, culture and culinary talent.
Delivered by the Mayor’s Fund for London and funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation, the Challenge gives young people the chance to build practical cooking skills, grow their confidence and teamwork, and explore the importance of eating well, all within trusted community settings.
A citywide challenge shaped by young people and youth organisations
The programme ran across three school holidays, beginning with community cooking sessions over the summer, progressing to a professional kitchen semi-final in October half -term, and culminating in last night’s high energy Grand final, held at the St Lukes Community Centre Cookery School in Islington. Taste the Future was created directly in response to community insight: in 2024, youth leaders from 100 community organisations told the Mayor’s Fund for London through its Kitchen Social insights survey that cooking is one of the top three skills young people need to support their personal development.
Further evidence from the Jack Petchey Foundation’s Bright Futures Youth Survey found that 1 in 4 young people aged 11–25 are interested in cooking, highlighting the appetite for hands-on, confidence-building opportunities like Taste the Future.
The Grand Final
The Grand Final brought together the top three teams from the previous stages for a high-pressure cook-off, where young people demonstrated focus, problem solving and teamwork, as well as demonstrating the culinary flair that got them to this stage. Working against the clock, finalists selected ingredients from a fully stocked Mystery Pantry reflecting London’s cultural diversity, before preparing a two-course meal in just 90 minutes.
The finalist teams were:
• The Avenues Project (Westminster)
• Knowledge and Practice (Croydon)
• Ashdon Jazz Academy (Lambeth)
Dishes were presented to a judging pane, who praised the young cooks for their technique, flavour and collaboration.
The Judging panel included:
Peter Bakare, Olympian and youth-sector leader (and Jack Petchey Award Winner)
Omar Allibhoy chef and restaurateur
Jack Taylor – Content Creator, including food reviews. 350,00+ Tiktok followers
Mila Smith, Head of People, Mayors Fund for London
Matt Rantell, grandson of Sir Jack Petchey and our Chair of Trustees
At the end of the evening, The Avenues Project from Westminster were crowned champions. Their menu included Thai sweet chilli chicken wings, brown chicken stew and coconut yellow rice, macaroni cheese, and a couscous Christmas salad. A fusion of the team’s cultural heritage that impressed judges with bold flavours, passion and craft in the kitchen.
The team received a cash prize to support their community hub, 50 Mayor’s Fund for London recipe and food kits, and a cooking masterclass with chef Omar Allibhoy. Additional Judges’ Choice Awards recognised teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, technique and rising talent.
Why this work matters now
London continues to experience the highest rate of child poverty in England. During the 13 weeks of school holidays each year, many young people lose access to regular learning opportunities, free school meals and safe spaces.
Food equity sits at the heart of Taste the Future. Across the capital, an estimated 400,000 children experience food insecurity, meaning too many miss out not just on nutritious meals, but on the chance to develop essential life skills such as cooking.
Taste the Future addresses this head-on: young people not only access healthy, home-cooked food, but gain the skills, confidence and knowledge to make positive choices well beyond the school holidays.
The Challenge forms a key part of MFL’s 4-year strategy and mission to provide free skills development opportunities and nutritious food to young Londoners in their local communities.
A live example of the National Youth Strategy in action
The Grand Final took place the day after the Government launched the National Youth Strategy, whose commitments to widening access to enriching activities, building trusted relationships and strengthening youth hubs echo exactly what Taste the Future delivers on the ground.
Last night’s event demonstrated these principles in motion: trusted adults supporting young people, vibrant spaces offering enriching activities, and young Londoners from under-resourced backgrounds given a platform to learn, lead and thrive.
