Now in its 24th year, the competition is designed to improve participants’ cooking skills, knowledge and techniques, while developing real life experience through employment in professional kitchens.
Consisting of three rounds – paper judging, live regional heats and the live grand final – the Craft Guild of Chef judges, headed by Chris Basten, will crown the winning team at Hotelympia 2018 on 7 March, and award them their prize: a bespoke set of three Flint & Flame knives each as well as a trip to the Universal Cookery and Food Festival in Westlands, September 2018. Their lecturer will also take home a specially selected knife set, and their college a personalised PR package “to maximise regional and industry publicity.”
To enter, in teams of three, students must design a three-course, three-cover menu around this year’s ‘around the world in three spices’ theme – incorporating a different spice into each course and spending no more than a total of £15. The full list of rules can be found via: www.countryrangestudentchef.co.uk
Annmarie Farr, lecturer of the winning team from Ayrshire College in 2017, commented: “It’s incredible just how much the students grow from competing in the Country Range Student Chef challenge. It’s not just their skills, work ethic and technique that improves but the confidence and teamwork, which is developed through competing as a threesome, is amazing.
“Winning has [also] generated positive publicity for the college and has helped us develop a reputation as a top catering college in Scotland. With competition fierce for students, this free promotion provides huge value in enrolling new students and helps ensure the hospitality industry in Scotland is in good hands.”
As well as testing their cooking skills, judges will mark the students’ teamwork skills, and awareness and understanding of hygiene and food safety within their working methods.
Lecturers can submit full team entries via www.countryrangestudentchef.co.uk, or by downloading the PDF entry form and sending it to the freepost address or emailing it to studentchef@countryrange.co.uk.