[C]umbria-based food and drink wholesale supplier Caterite Food and Wineservice Ltd. is looking to help unearth the next star chef following the launch of the Country Range Student Chef Challenge 2017/2018.
A leading supplier to cafes, restaurants, pubs, care homes, schools, colleges, universities, caterers and the wider foodservice sector, Caterite is a member of the Country Range Group, which is the lead sponsor of the illustrious Student Chef Challenge.
Richard Fletcher, Caterite’s Managing Director explains: “Cumbria is home to many amazing chefs and we have many well-established institutions like Kendal College, the Lakes College and others offering popular hospitality and catering courses. We are delighted to be able to support this fantastic competition and would love to see the crown being taken by a home college team. The challenge is an amazing experience for the students while providing fantastic publicity for the colleges so it’s very beneficial all round. We’d like to urge all relevant lecturers, colleges and students in Cumbria to get involved!”
One of the most prestigious competitions in the student catering calendar, the Country Range Student Chef Challenge provides full-time hospitality and catering college students with the perfect platform to improve their cooking skills, knowledge and technique, while developing real life experience under intense pressure and competition situations.
Now in its 24th year, the Student Chef Challenge is also a fantastic opportunity for students to gain real employment in professional kitchens, which was highlighted by 2016 winner Emily Bucknall from Loughborough College recently gaining a job at Sat Bains Michelin-starred restaurant.
The Country Range Student Chef Challenge 2017/2018
The challenge requires teams of three students to develop a three-course, three-cover menu demonstrating their own unique interpretation of this year’s ‘Around the World in Three Spices’ theme.
The teams have a maximum budget of £15 worth of ingredients for all three covers and a different fresh or ground spice (single or bespoke blend) must be used in each of the courses.
The recipes need to be tried and tested to ensure students are able to prepare, cook and present the full menu within a 90-minute period.
Details of each course including full recipes, methodology showing menu development and understanding of the theme plus full costings and images must be submitted by the 30th November 2017 for the paper judging stage.
Lecturers can submit and complete the full team entries via www.countryrangestudentchef.co.uk or can download the PDF entry form and send it to the freepost address or email it to [email protected]
Based on the results of the paper judging, Live Regional Heats will take place at easily-accessible catering colleges between the 22nd January – Friday 8th February 2018.
The Live Grand Final will take place on Wednesday 7th March 2018 between 11:00am – 12:30pm in front of an exhibition audience at Hotelympia 2018 – the UK’s largest foodservice and hospitality event.
In addition to taking home the much-coveted title, the three victorious students will each win a bespoke set of three Flint & Flame knives and a trip to the 2018 Universal Cookery & Food Festival, Westlands in September 2018. Here they will be guided throughout the day by various Craft Guild of
Chefs’ leading chefs & ambassadors and they will be treated to one night’s accommodation and dinner at Michelin starred restaurant Simpsons in Kenilworth.
The lecturer of the winning team will also be presented with a specially selected knife set plus the winning college will receive a personalised PR package to maximise regional and industry publicity around the victory.