Top chefs cook up a storm at City of Bath College

Michelin-star chefs have showed catering students their recipe for success with a six-course gourmet dinner at City of Bath College.

Head chefs Sam Moody and Andre Garrett revealed their tricks of the trade and offered a trolley load of advice as they cooked for the sell-out event at The Shrubbery Restaurant.

They worked alongside 20 Level 2 and 3 Catering and Hospitality students to serve up the mouth-watering meal to 70 members of the public.

The fine dining menu, with wine pairings, included pumpkin veloute, Loch Duart salmon and red wine braised beef cheek, followed by bitter chocolate tartlet and passion fruit sorbet.

As well as learning new culinary techniques, the College’s masterchefs of the future got a taste of working long hours under stress, experimenting with new ideas and the importance of team work.

Sam, Head Chef at the The Bath Priory Hotel, said the event had gone “really well” and he thanked the students for “doing all the real work.”

He said: “Working as a chef is very intense, you have to be very focused and disciplined, it’s certainly not easy.

“I was pleased how the students rose to the challenge, they were so enthusiastic and willing to learn, they really worked hard and put in the effort.”

Sam said he hoped he had taught the students to “never give up”. He said: “Things don’t always go to plan in the kitchen, it is important for chefs to  learn from their mistakes.”

For Andre, returning to the City of Bath College “felt like deja vu” as it is where he learned his trade.

He left the College in 1989 and now runs Galvin at Windows, which is on the top floor of the Hilton on London’s Park Lane.

He said: “It’s brilliant to come back and to be able to give back to the College.

“The students showed real passion and I explained to them that the learning won’t finish as soon as they leave College, they will continue to learn every day they are in the kitchen. They have great careers ahead of them.”

Catering and Hospitality Lecturer Tony Marsh said it had been important for students to pick up tips while “making a connection” with chefs in the industry.

He said: “It won’t be long before the students are working in kitchens so the more experience they can get, the better. It was a great experience for them.”

Amy Cox, 19, of Frome, an NVQ Level 3 Catering student, was among those inspired by working with the chefs.

She said: “It was a long day but very enjoyable, we got to see how the professionals work and the different ways they do things. I learned so much.”

Students also took on the ‘front of house’ duties to ensure everything ran smoothly and customers received a first-class dining experience.