The stage was set at Stratford-upon-Avon College last week when 11 teams from as far away as Liverpool competed for the title “Cook and Serve Team of the Year 2009”, sponsored by Brakes Fresh Ideas.

 

PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Osborne (Front of House), David Jowett and Philip Bayliss (Kitchen Team) with tutor. Tony Davies. Voted Best Kitchen Team and second overall in the Cook and Serve Team of the Year 2009 competition.

 

The teams were given only 1½ hours to prepare, cook and serve a 3-course meal. Stratford’s menu was a risotto of locally picked morels and wild garlic with spring vegetables, a duck breast with crispy noodles, spiced carrot purée and bok choi with an oriental sauce and five spiced cashews and finally a chocolate fondant with ginger ice cream and caramelized pears. 

 

Their efforts were rewarded when they won the “Best Kitchen Team Award” and came second in the overall competition, for which each student received a 6-piece Global knife set. In addition, they received one year’s membership to the British Culinary Federation, a certificate and a chef’s jacket or waiter’s waistcoat embroidered with their name.

 

Stratford-upon-Avon College’s team comprised three full-time students on the NVQ Level 2 Food and Drink Service course: Mark Osborne (Front of House), David Jowett and Philip Bayliss (Kitchen Team). They were mentored by tutors Julia Harper and Lynne Urquhart and Tony Davies respectively.

 

College tutor, Tony Davies, said “As their kitchen mentor, the students made me exceptionally proud by winning the Best Kitchen Team Award and by coming second in this nationally recognised competition. All three excelled on the day and demonstrated the very high standards that our students achieve.”

 

This national competition has been keenly contested over the last eight years and on five occasions it has been held at Stratford-upon-Avon College.

 

The event was such a success that students and staff alike are already keenly awaiting the competition next year and are determined to go one better and lift the trophy.