TV cookery contest’s a Glorious experience for Sanam, 14
8:59am Wednesday 27th February 2013 in News
WHILE most teenagers may struggle with even the simplest of dishes, 14-year-old Sanam Alam has proven her culinary expertise by appearing on a national TV show.
The Harper Green School pupil wowed judges on ITV’s new show Food Glorious Food with her banoffee pie.
The nine-part series, which starts at 8pm tonight, sees amateur bakers from across the country compete to create the best dish, which could be a starter, main or dessert, to win £20,000 prize money and the honour of seeing their product on the shelves at Marks and Spencer.
Despite her age, Sanam was chosen to take part in the show, and in October last year, travelled to Harrogate to compete against adults in a huge makeshift kitchen built inside a marquee.
The year nine pupil said she was not nervous — because she loves baking so much. The Farnworth teenager was taught to bake at an early age by her mother, Misbah Alam, and says she spends all of her free time cooking.
She chose her signature dish of banoffee pie for the competition, but enjoys cooking savoury and sweet items and wants to be a chef.
Sanam said: “I was really excited. When I saw everyone and met all the judges I was just really happy to experience it.
“It was a one-off for me to do something like that and I really enjoyed it.”
One of the highlights was when the show’s host Carol Vorderman came over and tasted her dish and told her she liked it.
Her pie was also tasted by the judging panel, made up of Stacie Stewart, from the Beehive Bakery, food writer and editor Tom Parker Bowles, food connoisseur Loyd Grossman and vice chairwoman of the Women’s Institute, Anne Harrison.
Sanam, who often attends cooking classes in her spare time, said she hopes one day to publish a book of her recipes.
Her banoffee pie recipe has already been published in a Food Glorious Food book containing other competitor’s recipes.
Mrs Alam said her daughter was “always cooking”.
She added: “She really is very good for her age and really enjoys it.
“She has always been really interested from when she was young and used to make cupcakes and biscuits.”
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2:06pm Wed 27 Feb 13
boltonnut says...