SUFFOLK NEW COLLEGE STUDENT CHEFS GET CLOSER TO THE BIG PRIZE

Catering students from Suffolk New College are on their way to the final of Brakes Student Team Chef Challenge 2008 being held at London’s Excel on 20 February to battle it out with nine other colleges.

The students: Sophie Knappet, James Wilding and Kate Allen came second in the fiercely contested regional final held at Birmingham College. Each college had to produce a three-course meal, which was judged on taste, presentation, teamwork, seasoning, culinary skills, working methods and overall balance. The first two placed teams from each heat and the best two third placed teams over the four heats qualified for the final.

The Suffolk New College students produced the following meal:

Starter: Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Panacotta, Anchovy Dressing and Cheese Sable

Main: Fillet of Wild Suffolk Venison, Jerusalem Artichoke Puree and Morel Sauce

Dessert: Milk Chocolate and Banana Mousse with Amaretto Ice Cream and Caramelized Banana

“Getting to the final of the Brakes Student Chef Challenge is a great achievement for the team,” explained a delighted Greg Cheeseman, lecturer at Suffolk New College, “All the hard work and preparation has come to fruition, the team did a fantastic job to get through their heat. Though it doesn’t stop there, we’re now working hard to ensure we are as ready as we can be for the final.”

Talking about the competition, Simon Henrick of Brakes said:” Over the years we have held the Student Chef Challenge we have found the quality just gets better and better each year. All the colleges at the heats produced great dishes, but as with any competition not everybody can win. The final should be very exciting and the teams all so closely matched I think the title could be won be any one of them.”

Winning team members at the regional heats received Brakes Catering Equipment vouchers worth £75 each whilst the 2nd and 3rd placed teams received vouchers worth £50 and £25 each respectively.

The ten teams who will contest the final are as follows:

Suffolk New College

Southern Regional College – Newry

Southport College

Thanet College

Thames Valley University

Westminster Kingsway College

Birmingham College

Ayr College

Adam Smith College

Forth Valley College

The Student Chef Challenge final will be held in the Salon Culinaire at the Hotelympia, which is taking place between the 17th and 21st February at London’s Excel. Prizes at the final include vouchers and for the overall winners as well as being crowned Student Team Chef of the Year, a knife set worth in excess of £500 for each team member and a weeklong placement organised by the Welsh Culinary Association.