They are: Ayrshire – Ayr Campus, Bradford College, City of Liverpool College, Glasgow City College , Gloucestershire College – 5 Acres Campus, and Westminster Kingsway College.
At each of the heats the teams were given a masterclass by Rob Kennedy, executive chef for Compass at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in which he produced duck accompanied by parsnip purée, duck jus and roast potatoes, followed by a “take” on tart Tatin and apple crumble with crème brûlée. Each team’s chefs then had to replicate the two dishes creatively without the aid of a recipe for their front of house team to serve to the judges led by Andy Stacey, former chef lecturer at Carlisle College, which has won the competition twice.
It was Kennedy’s first experience of Toque d’Or: “There were some great ideas and twists on dishes,” he commented. “I was really pleased with what the teams have done over the week.”
The six teams will now compete in the final, which will run from March 6-9. The winning team will be announced at a special awards ceremony at The Dorchester in London on April 2.