Stop Food Waste Day Culinary Challenge! Winner revealed…

Born and raised on the Caribbean Island of Anguilla, Tarisa has always been surrounded by delicious food. A self-professed foodie Tarisa always knew she had a passion for cooking which eventually led to her finding her ‘purpose in life.’

Between 2007-2009, Tarisa obtained her tertiary Chef Training in Culinary Arts from the New England Culinary Institute located in Vermont, United States of America. As a student she received many opportunities to develop and hone her skills gaining international exposure. This included representing the New England Culinary Institute in 2009 at the American Culinary Federation Student Team Northeast Regional Cooking Championship in Boston, USA where she obtained a bronze medal.

Tarisa joined Compass in November 2018 and is Chef de Partie, Restaurant Associates. Tarisa has had success in two competitions that she entered. As well as the Stop Food Waste Day Culinary competition, in 2019 Tarisa was awarded Silver "Best in Class" in the Asian dish category at the Salon Culinaire, one of UK's most prestigious Chef competitions. Commenting on her competition success so far Tarisa said “It feels great to be recognised for something I’m passionate about, and I’m excited to continue competing to develop my skills”

Tarisa’s winning dish – Broccoli Stem Bhaji with Mango Chutney was inspired by her day to day activities and work ethic to always minimise waste and utilise ingredients as best she can.

Be sure to download Tarisa’s winning dish from our twitter @compassgroupUK and give it a try!

We asked Tarisa for her top tips for managing food waste in the kitchen…

1. Cut less off, lots of chefs go way beyond the stalks and roots.

2. Think about the texture of the item. See how you can incorporate it into another dish.

3. Compost food turn it into rich soil.

4. Donate to the less fortunate.

5. Keep an eye on all food waste by tracking your food. See what the most wasted items are when preparing food – look for ways of using it up in your menu ideas.

6.  Re- purpose - turn leftovers into something tasty, once it has been kept at the right temperature, and cooled down correctly.