EIT students step up for dinner
Double fun for those working at wine event
‘The students get a real buzz out of being part of the event. They arrive when it’s just a marquee on green grass and then they help it evolve into a glamorous function centre.’ CELIA KURTA
EIT has been part and parcel of the Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards for many years, but this year the impact will be doubled.
Instead of being responsible for the usual one course, the tertiary institute put its hand up for both the main and dessert courses at the gala awards dinner for 500 guests last week.
Cookery lecturer Kylie Howard tackled the main course while fellow patisserie lecturer Korey Field tempted the sweet toothed with his dessert creation. Both were assisted in prepping, completing and serving by over 100 food and beverage, tourism and cookery students.
EIT wine science students would also be on hand on the night to help with the wine service.
“It was a huge week for our students,” says Celia Kurta, EIT coordinator for cookery and front of house programmes. Celia herself is an institution at the awards, having overseen the setup, pack out and almost everything in between, for “many years”.
“The students get a real buzz out of being part of the event. They arrive when it’s just a marquee on green grass and then they help it evolve into a glamorous function centre.
“For the cookery students, it is an opportunity to cater a largescale event — the first time for most of them. They get to use the skills they’ve learned at EIT and put them into practice on a much bigger stage than what they are used to.
“It’s a long day. We don’t usually finish packing out until around 1.30am. And there’s usually grumbles from those who draw the short straw and end up washing over 1600 dishes in the near dark!”
Chef and new EIT Head of School for Tourism and Hospitality Glenn Fulcher was also experiencing his first Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards. But rather than joining other EIT staff at a guest table, he donned his chef whites to be back in the kitchen, coordinating kitchen activities with both tutors and students.