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Catching up with 'Turn Up The Heat' Winners - North Hertfordshire College
Following their success winning Essential Cuisine’s ‘Turn Up The Heat’ competition, North Hertfordshire College opened their doors and welcomed Business Development Manager, Rees Smith and Senior Development Chef, Jon Harvey-Barnes for an inspiration filled kitchen takeover.
During an Essential Cuisine Kitchen Takeover, their team of passionate chefs work alongside students to create mouth-watering dishes, with the aim to teach the budding young chefs invaluable skills whilst working with guest chefs in their own environment. With the addition of North Hertfordshire College’s new cabinet smoker, courtesy of Essential Cuisine, Rees and Jon caught up with Anthony Gascoigne, Hospitality and Catering Course Team Leader, to speak about the experience...
Essential Cuisine: How impactful was the Essential Cuisine Kitchen Takeover for your students?
Anthony: The Essential Cuisine takeover introduced the students to great products and gave them the opportunity to work with new people. The dishes produced were testament to how engaged and enthused they were by the session Rees and Jon hosted. It is so important we inspire the students after unexpected periods of missed learning. This session helped fill the skills gaps and offered a level of normality in the college kitchen that has been missing for the past two years.
Essential Cuisine: Congratulations again for winning Essential Cuisine’s ‘Turn Up The Heat’ competition, how have you incorporated the cabinet smoker into your curriculum and how was it used during the kitchen takeover?
Anthony: We are extending the level 3 curriculum to incorporate smoking cookery methods; something which is not directly covered within the qualification. We are also using it on the level 3 themed evenings, where the students manage the kitchen from menu creation through to the rota of kitchen duties. On every menu there will be a smoked aspect, whether that be meat, dish, cheese or even desserts – it’s great!
Essential Cuisine: Do you have any advice for fellow food lecturers / teachers?
Anthony: Work with the industry as closely as possible, like we have with Essential Cuisine, to prepare students for the industry and their next steps.
Essential Cuisine: Do you have any advice for future chefs and people wanting to enter the industry?
Anthony: Do your research, be prepared to work hard, never be late and with everything you do, do it with passion!
Anthony would like to say a huge thank you to Essential Cuisine for the valuable experience and support.
Essential Cuisine are proud to continue supplying valuable knowledge and support to colleges, their lecturers and students with kitchen takeovers, digital demonstrations and lesson tools.
To discover how Essential Cuisine can support your college and students, click here or email [email protected].
