Previous ‘Young Shepherd of the Year’, Tom in Year 9 has successfully built up his flock from two and now has 50 Coloured Ryelands, including lambs and two Ryeland sheep. His hard work paid off when he won the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s Young Shepherd of the Year award back in 2021.
Since being crowned ‘Young Shepherd of the Year, Tom has gone on to win numerous awards and prizes across the country and has become quite the superstar in the showing world, achieving the accolade of ‘National Champion Young Handler’ and proving to be unbeatable in the show ring.
This year he has already shown at Devon County Show, Royal Bath and West, Royal Cornwall and Royal Three Counties. He ended up winning the overall Champion at three out of four of these county shows with his Coloured Rylands. At the Bath and West he won every class he entered and at the Royal Cornwall won 14 of the 15 classes in the show.
His passion for sheep doesn’t stop with winning national county shows he is also a budding young chef championing British homegrown meats. Of all the pupils involved from Queen’s College and from all of the other schools who entered the prestigious ‘South West Chef of the Year’ competition, the judges have invited Tom back to prepare his winning lamb dish competition entry at the Somerset Regional Finals of the ‘South West Chef of the Year’!
“Taking part in South West Chef of the Year provides a wonderful opportunity for pupils to demonstrate skills to some of the best chefs in the South West.” said celebrity Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines MBE the co-founder and head judge of South West Junior Chef of the Year.
“I am delighted that Tom has made it through to the next round, both the Final of Somerset Junior Chef of the Year and the semi-final of South West Junior Chef of the Year 2023 next Friday at Bridgwater and Taunton College’, said Mr Mann Head of the Faculty of Art, Design, and Food, “His winning dish is a Spiced aubergine filled with lamb ragu sauce and topped with melted ewes cheese and mint and served with homemade cheese crisps”.
