Local Companies Support College Catering Students
Catering students at Weston College got the opportunity to cook with locally-produced cooking technology last week as part of the Chefs’ Forum Academy.
The students got the chance to use Clifton Food Range’s renowned water bath cooking products (as seen on Masterchef and the Great British Menu), which are made in Weston-super-Mare.
Christopher Wicks, Head Chef at Old Down Manor, was on hand to kick-off the water bath cookery unit of the students’ course, demonstrating how this method of cooking can seal in flavour and gives chefs control over the texture of the food.
This type of cookery is called sous vide and involves vacuum sealing the ingredients before cooking at a low temperature in the special water-based cooking machines. It is a technique which is rapidly gaining popularity in many top restaurants.
Catherine Farinha, Founder of the Chefs’ Forum, said: “Having an industry expert like Chris Wicks teach Weston College’s catering students will inspire the young chefs and show them the versatility of sous vide cookery.
“They will learn about portion control, quality consistency and all the other advantages of low temperature cookery that make it Wicks’ cooking method of choice.”
The Chefs’ Forum Academy was launched at Weston College in September 2016, and brings together local chefs, food producers and innovative product designers. It enables industry professionals to pass on their knowledge of the catering industry to trainee chefs in a collaboration which aims to promote Weston College as a centre of excellence for catering and hospitality in the South West of England.
