Wiltshire student chef competition gearing up

Nine student chefs are sharpening their knives in preparation for the final of a new Wiltshire College/von Essen Hotels catering competition.

Von Essen Hotels are offering a 12 month scholarship contract to the winning student who has designed a three course menu that can be prepared, cooked and presented within three hours.

Over 20 students on full and part time catering courses at Wiltshire College campuses in Trowbridge, Salisbury and Chippenham entered the competition.

The nine finalists (3 from each campus) will compete in the final at Trowbridge campus on June 16th 2009, followed by a champagne reception and announcement of the winner at von Essen's Homewood Park Hotel, near Bath.

The finalists (and their dishes) are: 

• Tom Bryant, aged 17 of Devizes; baked fig with goats cheese and Wiltshire bacon, halibut fillet and chocolate mousse

• Nick Benham, aged 17 of Calne ; seared scallops, duck breast, vanilla panacotta

• Michael Salmon, aged 16, of Calne; smoked trout salad, venison haunch, orange cointreau cheesecake

• Roseanne Luther aged 19 of Trowbridge; seared mackerel, duck breast, chocolate tart

• John Agbuya, aged 17 of Trowbridge; butternut squash Soup, pan fried sea bass, chocolate fondant

• Peter Wade aged 20 of Trowbridge; warm chorizo & avocado salad, chicken stuffed with olive and Sun dried Tomato, chocolate sponge

• Sarah Parsons, age 17 of Kington Magna; filo Mushroom, fillet of head bream, strawberry shortbread

• Carney Robinson, age 18 of Warminster; sautéed paprika marinated chicken livers, pan fried bass fillet, chocolate mint cheesecake

• Ivan Bumbarov, age 27 of Salisbury; fillet of trout, poached chicken roulade, lemon & raspberry posset

Chris Sutcliffe, Wiltshire College's trainer assessor in hospitality said: "This competition is a fantastic opportunity for our students. The scholarship will be a very prestigious start to the winner's career. All the students taking part will gain valuable experience of creating a menu, working to a timescale and under the pressure of a competition environment, similar to that of a busy professional kitchen."

It is anticipated that the competition will become an annual event.

Words: Clare Riley

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