Chefs battle it out for brush with success
Bath College hosted its annual Chef v Chef competition with local chefs and students competing in a variety of categories.
Professional chefs from local venues vied for the Chef Champion title, while the students battled it out for the best team, best knife skills and best front of house service titles.
The morning focussed on the student competitions. Teams had to plan and produce a dish of plaice with a potato garnish followed by chocolate tart and select a suitable wine.
The students chosen to lead on service then took part in the front of house challenge, demonstrating a napkin fold, cocktail and role play scenarios to judges Sylwia Ooger, from Lympstone Manor, and Stuart Shepherd, retired front of house manager.
The students presented one plate to the judges, for tasting and assessing, and served the other plates at the college’s mock restaurant, where they were assessed on their customer interaction, wine suggestions and how they had laid their tables.
Meanwhile, other students competed in a knife skills challenge, preparing vegetables six ways.
The second half of the day was the professional challenge with seven local chefs going head to head. They were Andrew Jenkinson from Lucknam Park; Christian Orner from Salt Co; Dean Toon from Blunsdon Hotel; Jethro Lawrence from Woolley Grange; Henry Scott from Henry’s Restaurant; Frazer Carroll from No. 15 Great Pulteney Street; and Jason Ramplin.
Each professional had two and a half hours to prepare a main course using game, and a dessert using vegan chocolate, pear and hazelnuts. Bath
College students volunteered to act as commis chefs for each professional during the challenge.
The judges really had their work cut out, and spent a while in the kitchen deliberating over who deserved the title. The first award announced was the knife skills challenge, which was taken by Joseph Rowe; next was the front of house contest which was won by Daniel Shermilt.
The team challenge was won by
Team Marcus Wareing, consisting of Lucy, Emily and Eryn.
Finally, Dean Toon was announced as the 2020 Chef V Chef Champion.
Each competition took a long time to judge because of the high standard of entries.
One of the judges, Scott Lucas from The Crafty Chef, said: “Sometimes you can pick a winner just by their dish, but today it was element by element, it was that close.”