Students’degustation dinner delights diners

Photo story from Otago Polytechnic
31 July 2009

Students’degustation dinner delights diners

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Aidan Dickson and Taro Isayama cooking the salmon and prawn boudin

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Student chefs plating up salmon and prawn boudin with vege cous cous and Heart of the Desert saffron foam

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Aidan Dickson giving his presentation to diners

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Diner being served roast cherry parfait with chocolate sorbet, jelly and cocoa handkerchief, ingredients from Provisions

A sold out, seven course degustation dinner delighted guests of the Molyneux training restaurant in Cromwell last night (30 July).

The ‘Celebrate Central’ evening was the grand finale of the Otago Polytechnic’s Level 4 professional cookery course and was a huge success according to the students’ chef lecturer and award-winning Kiwi chef Debbie Crompton.

“I’m so proud of the team,” she says. “They kept their cool under pressure and turned out a very high standard of food for 50 diners which is no mean feat.”

Celebrate Central was designed to showcase the best of Central Otago food and wine, give the Polytechnic’s graduating cookery students experience in a ‘live’restaurant situation, and support local suppliers, wineries and small businesses.

Each of the seven cookery students were responsible for one course on the menu. They were tasked with researching ingredients, meeting with the local suppliers, learning about their products and incorporating them into their recipes.

As part of the evening each student spoke to the diners before their course was served to give them an insight into the local supplier and ingredients used.

“This exercise was a great way to get the students to learn about local ingredients, understand how to use them and form relationships with local suppliers. It will stand them in good stead for the future when they’re restaurateurs and menu makers,” says Debbie.

“The students were thrilled with the feedback they received and can’t wait to do it again!”

Twenty-seven year old Aidan Dickson was one of the students involved and says he’s “still amped” from last night.

“It was a fantastic experience – everyone pulled together really well. When something was needed it just appeared with no fuss. I’ve already asked Debbie if we can do it again. It’s an invaluable hands-on experience for us because we’re likely to all be working in restaurants after we graduate at the end of the year.”

The Level 3 Hospitality students responsible for the food and wine service were also highly praised by diners.

For more information on cookery programmes provided at Otago Polytechnic’s Cromwell campus please visit www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz.

ENDS

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