Judges set for hospitality competition

Judges set for hospitality competition

Described as a "panel full of talent", the judges are ready to dish out advice and points at this year's City & Guilds Training Team of the Year competition.

The City & Guilds Training Team of the Year competition gets underway at 11.30am on 18 August during the NZ Culinary Fare at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland. The event is open to the public.

Judging the popular hospitality student competition are Michael Van de Elzen ("Food Truck" chef); Glenn Goughey (Brentwood Hotel's Executive Chef and President of the NZ Chefs' Association WGTN branch); Adrian Brett-Chinnery (Group Development Chef at Fiji's Tanoa Hotels); Alan Brown (AUT chef tutor and the first New Zealander to be awarded the Medal in Culinary Arts from City & Guilds, London); Glenn Fulcher (Pacific Manager of City & Guilds of London); and Marc Soper (Chef de Cuisine, Wellesley Boutique Hotel, Wellington).

An experienced panel will also be judging the restaurant service component of the competition; Angela De Jong, Consultant, Auckland; John Snowball, Compass Services, Dunedin and Eileen Marshall, Consultant, Taranaki.

Vegetables.co.nz Food Services Consultant, Pip Duncan says the organisers are very appreciative of the time and expertise these talented judges will provide in the competition.

"The judges will be marking against strict criteria for skills, hygiene, cooker, presentation and service," says Pip.

During the event, the training teams of two chefs and one restaurant service student from hospitality institutions from around the country will prepare, cook and serve six portions of a three course meal under the judges' watchful eyes.

At stake is the prestigious title of "City & Guilds Training Team of the Year" and a prize package worth $7000. Now in its second year, the title was won in 2012 by the Auckland University of Technology team.

Competing this year are teams from Cornell Institute of Business & Technology, New Zealand Defence Force, Novotel Auckland Airport, Waikato Institute of Technology, New Plymouth's Western Institute of Technology and Villa Maria Estate in Mangere.

The teams will create a menu comprising an Entrée, featuring New Zealand Dutch- Style cheese with fresh New Zealand-grown vegetables, a Main, including Cervena Venison and potato or kumara, plus at least two more New Zealand-grown vegetables, and a Dessert using two Barker's products.

The competition is sponsored by City & Guilds, Deer Industry NZ, vegetables.co.nz, NZ Specialist Cheese Makers, Barkers, Bidvest and Choice Catering Equipment.

ENDS

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