Celebrating culinary expertise with our 2025 Best Use of Rice winners from Milton Keynes College, spotlighting the incredible talent of Verity Butler, Emma Smith and Victoria Phillips from Milton Keynes College.
Best Use of Rice Winners
This year’s ‘Best Use of Rice’ winners of Milton Keynes College wowed judges with their intricate four course menu, through thoughtful technique, cultural inspiration and of course use of Tilda’s ambient rice.
Their ‘Taste of Persia’ themed menu showcased tradition paired with modern presentation styles and unique flavour pairings.
From their middle eastern Amuse Bouche to an indulgent and fragrant take on a rice pudding, every dish captivated innovation, culture and of course the culinary potential of rice.
If the main course is chosen, Tilda must be the hero on the plate.
Their Winning Menu
Their four-course menu started off strong with their Amuse Buche, Dolma Bil Zeits – a traditional dish from Persia consisting of grape leaves, rolled and stuffed with Tilda’s Pure Basmati rice, herbs & spices which was then simmered gently in vegetable stock to deepen the flavour, and served with a vibrant beetroot hummus.
Their showstopping dessert, beautifully presented in a tall glass stood out to judges for its sophisticated balance of floral and spiced flavours. Tilda’s Pure Basmati rice was used in their dessert, delicately infused with rosewater and saffron creating a golden colour and unique flavour.
Finished off with a topping of candied pistachios and an apricot preserve creating a contrast of textures to round the dish off and securing their win of ‘Best Use of Rice’
The Prize
Milton Keynes College chef team will experience an unforgettable Tilda Foodservice rice experience learning all about the fascinating journey of rice, uncovering its origins, discovering where its grown, how its milled, packed and transported across the globe.
The winners will then enjoy an exclusive one-on-one cooking session with the legendary rice master, Cyrus Todiwala, creating culinary masterpieces together. The prize concludes with an evening’s feast of the dishes created.
Last Year’s Winners
As headline sponsor of 2024, last year’s winners, Sheffield College, embarked on a trip of a lifetime to Delhi, India.
During their stay, they visited Karim’s – the iconic restaurant of Delhi since 1913, to learn more about Asian flavours and techniques, followed by exploring the city itself and discovering Tilda Basmati’s rice production and the sustainable practices farmers are adopting.
The trip concluded with an eye-opening visit to one of the schools supported by Mary’s Meals – a charity Tilda work closely with to help improve the lives of children living in some of the world’s poorest countries; by ensuring they are provided with a school meal in their place of education and in turn, contributing towards positive futures.