Defence Chefs Fired Up For Hospitality Fair

As part of a Hospitality Fair at Carnegie College, the Defence Chef of the Year competitions took place in the eat@carnegie restaurant, with both junior and senior chefs competing for this prestigious title. The fair involved competitions, demonstrations and exhibitions with participants coming from throughout the whole of Scotland to take part in the first event of this type in the UK. Trophies were sponsored by Barrs (Irn Bru) and Coca Cola, with bottles of champagne gifted by premier champagne makers, The House of Lanson for the winners and runners up in each category. The defence chefs who took part were employees of ESS (formerly Eurest Support Services), who are the market leading support services division of Compass Group, providing food and support services to customers operating in remote sites, defence and off-shore sectors Judges Johnny Greir, Murrayshall House Hotel, Kevin McGilvary from the Scottish Culinary Olympic Team and Mark Hollis, ex Chef at Gleneagles Hotel had difficult decisions to make in the various categories – Afternoon Teacakes and Pastries, Decorative Cakes, Restaurant Plates, Centre Piece, Mystery Bag, Junior and Senior Chef of the Year 2009 and Best in Show.       During the day, cookery demonstrations were given by Andrew Main, Chef Lecturer from Carnegie College, to college students and local P4 pupils from Commercial Primary School who, as part of their “World of Work” week, had an opportunity to see how a real restaurant works and also get an insight into the range of careers in Hospitality that are available.   Derek Rollo, Retail Development Manager for ESS, said “We are delighted that Carnegie College hosted this Hospitality Fair. The facilities were just what we needed for both the main event and the various other competitions that are running on the day. Army, RAF and Navy chefs from as far away as Thurso in the north and Otterburn in the south came along and they were really ‘fired up’, if you excuse the pun, about competing.”    Higher Hospitality students from Andrew Carnegie Business School competed alongside the defence chefs in a number of events including the “mystery bag” competition. Student Ross Brannigan (19) from Dunfermline, said, “It’s just like “Ready, Steady, Cook on the telly. Only in real life they get a week to think about it but we get a half an hour to come up with a 1 course meal for two people using the ingredients in the bag. It’s really good fun – and you get to eat what you’ve cooked too!” Unfortunately Ross didn’t win in the Mystery Bag competition, but fellow student Richard Black (25) from Dunfermline took first place and was presented with a trophy, vouchers, a certificate and a bottle of champagne, while Scott Spink also from Carnegie College came third. Another hospitality student, Isobel McCord, was placed third in the ‘Afternoon Teacakes and Pastries Section’. Well done chefs! Mary Fraser, Assistant Head of the Andrew Carnegie Business School said “This was an excellent opportunity for school pupils and college students to see the variety of options that exist in Hospitality. With the success of celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, people know what chefs do, but there is so much more to this industry. The idea of the Fair was to show what is involved in Hospitality and to help get the message across that a career is possible and can be rewarding and varied.” Mary, along with kitchen technician Jeanette Weatheritt, were presented with baskets of flowers, and Head of School Rosemary Allford was given a cut-glass trophy, from Dave McGarel from ESS, who thanked them for use of the kitchen facilities and help in organising the event and has already make a booking for 2010.