GSM HOSPITALITY SERVICES
  • Home
  • About
  • Hotel & Restaurant Support
  • Gill'sBlog
  • Contact
  • St Helena
    • Gallery >
      • St Helena
      • Ascension Island
      • Cape Town

St Helena Junior Chef Academy 2015

16/11/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
The past 10 Saturdays have been a labour of love for 9 young people who signed up to join our Junior Chef Academy. 
The objective was to create interest and awareness in catering and hospitality, specifically in the kitchen and also to show young people some of the many skills needed to deliver good quality food in a commercial environment. 
Chef Trainer Mike Harper worked with the students over the 10 weeks, first starting with knife skills and basic techniques and gradually working up to more technical things such as mousses and choux pastry. 
Picture
Mike demonstrating banana smoothies
Picture
One of the earlier sessions works of art!
Picture
Thomas getting his cake ready
The Students all hail from year 11 of Prince Andrew School which is the only senior school on the island.  Although juggling course work and studying for mock GCSEs, they willingly committed to working in the school’s catering block every Saturday morning.
Picture
The final week’s format was a competition. 
The brief was for each student to create a menu and list ingredients for a two course meal. 
They then had to cook the meal in a time frame of two hours and present two plates of each course for the judges to sample. 

The atmosphere at the beginning of the day was pretty tense.  Soon any nerves were replaced by serious drive and concentration to do the best job and to create a meal to be proud of.

Standards were impressive all round and that didn’t just include the food.  Time management, keeping areas tidy and sinks empty all featured. 
I would have been proud to have any of these people in working in my restaurant.

Once time was up, our judges had to make their decisions.  This entailed tasting their way through the 18 different dishes and trying to make objective decisions about what they were sampling. 

It took longer than expected because standards were so high. 

It made me think of all those meals I used to eat when working as an AA Hotel and Restaurant Inspector as it’s quite a task to sample so much food. 

Highlights of the day for me were a really good chocolate and pecan brownie,  a really well made burger bun containing a local pork and apple burger again made from scratch, two really good mousses which turned out really well and some delicious Profiteroles. 
Picture
Judges Susan and Derek
Picture
Spiced chicken wrap with local salad
Picture
Judges Christine and Lawson
Picture
Competent knife skills!
Picture
Chicken Pie anyone?
Picture
Piping Choux Pastry can be hard work!
Picture
Waiting for the result with Linda Yon their Teacher

Our winnner’s dishes included Hake cooked in foil with lemon and herbs, served with broccoli and bacon mashed potato and a nicely decorated strawberry mousse on a biscuit base with chocolate shavings.

These students really are a credit not only to themselves but also, their families and the school.   

I hope this kind of event becomes a regular occurrence on St Helena as there are so many benefits to all. 
Picture
Tyler's winning meal
Picture
Picture
Picture
First Prize Winner Tyler Scipio
Picture
Second Prize to Thomas Hickling with his Pork and Apple Burger in a home made bun
Picture
Kalen Crowie with Third prize for his variety of chicken and a lovely chocolate cake
2 Comments
Julie Fowler
19/11/2015 14:41:42

Well done Tyler! Also to everyone who took part.

Reply
Jacob Bowers
9/3/2016 14:50:43

well done spooky u did really well :) xx too bad u never gave me any taste !

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Categories

    All
    Accommodation
    Cape Malay
    Cape Town
    Main Dishes
    P&O
    Recipes
    Restaurants
    Reviews
    Sharks
    St Helena
    Tours
    Training
    UK

    Archives

    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • About
  • Hotel & Restaurant Support
  • Gill'sBlog
  • Contact
  • St Helena
    • Gallery >
      • St Helena
      • Ascension Island
      • Cape Town