Cooking trio reach semi finals of national contest

THREE aspiring cookery students from Loughborough College are celebrating after qualifying for the semi-final heats of the prestigious Country Range Student Chef Challenge 2018/19.

Finlay Royle, Kioran Rudolph and Tobias Booty will now compete against other college teams from around the UK in the semifinal heats, which take place on the February 1 and 8.

Run in collaboration with the Craft Guild of Chefs, the competition is celebrating its 25th anniversary and this year the theme focuses on the core skills and techniques students learn on a second-year professional cookery course. The challenge requires teams of three students to plan, prepare and execute a three-course, four-cover menu in just 90 minutes and must include an Asian-themed seabass starter, a main duck dish and a dessert containing at least 30 per cent of Country Range Chocolate Drops.

The winning teams from the semi-final heats will then battle it out in the Grand Final on March 13 at ScotHot, Scotland’s largest hospitality and tourism show. As well as being crowned the Country Range Student Chef Challenge winner, the students will also win a day’s work experience at a Michelin-starred restaurant and be taken on a foodie tour of London which includes a trip to the capital’s Billingsgate Market.

Emma Holden, lead organiser of the Country Range Student Chef Challenge, said: “It was a very tough paper judging stage with the standard of entries so high but congratulations to the Loughborough College team on making the semi-final heats. Their menu showed great planning, organisation and creativity so I can’t wait to try the finished dishes.”