Students Get Ready, Get Steady.. to Cook

Talented trainee chefs from Leeds City College will be battling it out with counterparts from the region in a new head to head cooking challenge.

Students from the College will be joining some from Harrogate College to dish up their own master class in culinary skills as they race to create mouth-watering dishes in just 20 minutes at this year’s centenary Harrogate Autumn Flower Show.

The up-and-coming chefs will be taking part in daily ready, steady cook-style contests as part of the popular Cookery Theatre demonstrations at the show running from September 16th-18th.

Leeds City College Level 2 VRQ students Jonathan Pratt, from Otley, and James Carden, from Moortown, will be the first to compete on Friday, September 16th. Jonathan has just completed a summer placement with the famous Roux family at the Waterside Inn, Bray, and James comes fresh from success as a semi-finalist in the TV cooking competition, Britain’s Best Dish.

Each pair of students will have a core ingredient to work with as a basis for their dishes, including botanical vinegars supplied by Womersley Foods, free-range eggs provided by Chippendale Foods and herbs from Herbs Unlimited.

“We are really looking forward to an exciting contest every day at the show,” said Leeds City College Chef Tutor Stephanie Moon, who works with Harrogate Flower Shows to stage the Cookery Theatre as well working as Chef Consultant at Rudding Park.

“It’s an opportunity for the audience to see just what these talented chefs can really do in 20 minutes and it is great experience for the students, who will work in an industry where dishes have to be created very quickly and to perfection.”

The outcome of each culinary contest will be decided by a panel of judges, including representatives from the suppliers of the ingredients and local chefs.