Two North Hertfordshire College catering students recently competed in Dingley Dell’s Dirty Dozen competition at London’s Signature Brewery. The competition not only offered a great opportunity for the teams to show off their barbecue skills but also raised £6,000 for the Over The Rainbow Children’s Charity.
12 colleges were selected to take part in the competition, with pairs of students working with their tutor alongside professional chefs, some of whom hold Michelin stars.
NHC students Poppy Andrews and Ethan McKenna, alongside catering tutor Robert Broome, supported the Mardy Mods team led by chef Russell Bateman. Russell has appeared on the BBC’s Great British Menu and has previously won the Craft Guild of Chefs’ ‘National Chef of the Year’ award for his work.
Catering tutor Anthony Gascoigne described the competition as “an excellent opportunity for the students to work alongside top chefs, but also a bit of fun too.”
After cooking up a storm, Russell and the Mardy Mods won the award of Grand Pork Chef and Best Dish for their pork ribeye with charcuterie sauce, baked squash, smoked cream, and pickled cucumber.
Russell Bateman was very positive about his experience of working with Poppy and Ethan. “I thought we worked really well as a team and everyone did a great job. The students represented the College so well, so congratulations for that.”
“It was amazing to see so many great chefs working so closely with the colleges and brilliant students. These young chefs are the future of our industry.”
If you are interested in studying Catering at North Hertfordshire College, you can find out more about our courses via our website.