Dorset & Hampshire Chefs & Catering Students Cook Lunch for The Chefs’ Forum Educational Foundation
A full house and star-studded line-up of chefs working with students at Bournemouth & Poole College resulted in an impressive £665 being raised for The Chefs’ Forum Educational Foundation. Matt Budden (Hilton), Jan Bretschneider (Restaurant Roots) Nick St. Peter (Highcliff Marriott) and Andrew Du Bourg (Elderflower Restaurant) all collaborated to cook a four course banquet with students from Bournemouth & Poole College’s Escoffier Restaurant.
Welcoming 60 industry guests to the college, Christophe Baffos, Director of Learning for Service Industries at The College said:
“We are very pleased as a college to welcome The Chefs’ Forum and local employers to our Escoffier Restaurant – What a great turn out! It is a great opportunity for our students to work with different employers in our kitchen, and to showcase our facility, the quality of teaching and the range of qualifications that we have to offer to the local community and to businesses.”
Tracy Butler, Learning Manager for Catering at The College echoed Christophe’s positive comments:
“It’s a fantastic event that brings suppliers, local chefs and students together and we as a college are very happy to be
part of it!”
Level three student Emma Lumber (26) was working on Matt Budden’s starter of smoked mutton ‘Bruschetta’ with radish, celeriac, quince & beurre noisette dressing. She said:
“Working with Matt and the guest chefs today showed me how different chefs work – It was brilliant to see such high level cookery. I came to Bournemouth & Poole College because of its great reputation in industry and I have really enjoyed my day today!”
Jan produced a stunning fish dish of poached cod, oyster emulsion, aerated egg white, cabbage, mussel sauce and tarragon, he really enjoyed working with the students saying:
“It was awesome to help the future generation of chefs. Working with the level three students from the College and Spencer Birkett, the HIT Training learner today reassures me that our local college is producing highly talented young chefs and so is HIT Training, which is great to see.”
Twenty year-old Harry Keetch was working on Jan’s section and was delighted to be offered a day in Jan’s kitchen on work experience, he said:
“I have really enjoyed working with Jan, learning new techniques and gaining ideas and inspiration – I want to see it all come alive on the plate now.”
Nick St Peter produced a delicious main course of slow roasted belly, seared loin, fennel, carrot and roasted apple and potato with the students, he then told the guests that the dish incorporated root to tip and nose to tail cookery. Nick said he was really pleased with the students’ performance in the kitchen and is very happy to welcome them into the kitchen at the Highcliff Marriott for work experience.
Andrew Du Bourg wowed the guests with his signature dessert of ‘Close But No Cigar’– chocolate & whisky mousse, coffee ice cream, vanilla milk foam, cigar smoked chocolate. As an ex-student of The College, he was very happy to be invited back to work with the students, he said:
“Today was great fun; the students seem to have a brilliant understanding of the basics. Being back at The College brings back many happy memories and I’m feeling rather spoilt in using the fantastic facilities! I look forward to sampling the great food being produced.”
The Chefs’ Forum holds quarterly events in Dorset and Hampshire, any chefs or front of house professionals wishing to attend should contact Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum: catherine@redcherry.uk.com
Photography by www.andrewplantphotography.com
