Students reach semi-finals in national chef competition
Thu, 23 March 2017
A trio of top food studies students from Tameside College have progressed to the semi-finals of the UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year; one of the most prestigious national competitions in the catering industry organised by Skills for Chefs.
Food studies students, Nathan Hargreaves, Aidan Waters and Sophie Reilly will cook and serve a number of starters, mains and desserts, to be judged by Vicky Enderson, development chef at the specialist ingredient company MSK.
Last year the competition attracted a record number of entries from student chefs across the country, with the event being more popular than ever in 2017. The students will compete against four other teams based in the north at the same time five teams in the south will compete for a place in the finals at the Skills for Chefs and Service conference in July.
Nathan Hargreaves, a former St Philip Howard Catholic Voluntary Academy student from Glossop, said: “I think it’s going to be a great experience. I’m really excited because I’m passionate about what I do and to take part in such a high profile event with other like-minded people is once in a lifetime. If we get through I think it could really open up doors for the team in industry after we have finished college.”
John Holden, food studies teacher at Tameside College and mentor to the Reflections restaurant student team, said: “This is a great achievement for the college as it is the first time we have entered students into the UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year competition. We are regularly practising every element of the cook and serve so the students are prepared and completely confident. The prize is a four day, all expenses paid trip to Italy, which is really motivating them to keep their eye on the end goal.”
For more information on Tameside College’s food studies courses, please call: 0161 908 6789 or click here.