Annual Country Range Student Chef Challenge launches

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Country Range Student Chef Challenge has launched for 2019.

Run in collaboration with the Craft Guild of Chefs, lecturers and college students are being urged to enter. The winning team will be offered a day's work experience placement at a Michelin-starred restaurant, as well as being taken on foodie tour of London including a guided tour of Billingsgate Market where they will be taught fish filleting skills by the resident master fishmonger.

Teams of three students will be required to plan, prepare and execute a three-course, four-cover menu in 90 minutes.

For 2018/2019 the criteria is focusing on the essential core skills and techniques studied on a second year professional cookery course.

The cost per cover is £8 and the menus must include:

• A main duck dish cooked any way â€" demonstrating butchery skills students must remove both legs by tunnel boning before removing the breasts and presenting the whole carcass to the judges. Portion size for the dish is to be half a breast per person and some of the leg meat.
• A classically creative dessert with a modern twist that must consist of at least 30% Country Range chocolate drops

For full details of the Challenge and criteria, visit www.countryrangestudentchef.co.uk. The deadline for submissions is 30 November 2018.

The entries will first be judged by the Craft Guild of Chefs before the winning teams are selected to compete in regional heats at the end of January 2019. The victorious teams from these heats will then compete at the grand final, which will take place on 13 March 2019 in the live theatre of ScotHot - Scotland’s largest hospitality and tourism show.

Emma Holden, Country Range Student Chef Challenge organiser, said: “Following the success of last year’s competition and finale at Hotelympia, we’re thrilled to launch the 2019 Challenge and are calling on college lecturers and students from all over the UK to help us make the 25th competition our best yet.”

Chris Basten, chairman of judges at the Craft Guild of Chefs, said: “I’d urge as many colleges and students as possible to get involved as the benefits really are endless. The standard of cooking gets better and better each year so I’m already excited at the thought of what will be presented by the young chefs in 2019.”

Robbie Phillips, lecturer of last year’s winning City of Glasgow College team, added: “The Challenge is fantastic for students as it nurtures creativity and teaches them precision, organisational skills, discipline, speed and teamwork, which reinforces what they learn at college and need in the industry. They also get to travel and meet people from other parts of the country, visit shows and events so it’s a great opportunity to build their CV, as well as being a tremendous source of personal achievement and pride.”

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