Published at 15:52, Wednesday, 18 November 2009

TALENTED student chefs were put to the test as part of a charity event last month. Devil’s Kitchen, a play on the popular TV series Hell’s Kitchen, saw two teams of students go head to head with their cooking skills to raise cash for Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

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The students, from the catering department at Lakes College, Lillyhall, turned up the heat with an ambitious six-course menu.

Local celebrities Dave Bowden, of Workington Town RLFC, and Nigel Beaty, of Whitehaven RLFC, each headed-up a team of students and battled it out to be crowned winner.

Spiced aubergine salad and seared duck breast were just some of the delights on offer to guests who marked the teams on their cooking, presentation and service skills.

The teams had to serve almost 80 guests over the two nights of the event, with 46 diners on the first night and 27 on the second.

Dave Bowden said: “I can’t cook to save myself – my limit is chicken and vegetables. But I was keen to do it for charity. I’ll be working on the pass which means I’ll be shouting out the orders to my team when they start rolling in. The students are all very enthusiastic and they know what they’re doing – which is a good job.”

Nigel Beaty said: “Casseroles are my limit when it comes to my skills in the kitchen but I used to work as a group spa manager for Shire Hotels which has the North Lakes Hotel at Penrith, so I have a fair idea of how a professional kitchen is run. I’m going to use some ideas that I saw working there for presenting my team’s dishes.”

The team of students took turns over the two nights to both cook and serve the guests.

The first showdown saw Haven’s Nigel Beaty crowned winner but the second triumph was claimed by Workington Town’s Dave Bowden.

The Devil’s Kitchen experience will go towards the student’s NVQ level 1, 2 and 3 courses as well as giving them a taste of life in a professional kitchen.

Head chef, Sam Craig, said: “The menus for the night were all designed by students on the NVQ level 3 catering course.

“I’m overseeing things on the night and I have been giving them advice on how to handle the pressure in the kitchen but after that it’s all been down to them, so that have done brilliantly.”

Seventeen-year-old Mathew Brough played an important part in the event. The Diploma 2 professional cooking student started his course as Lakes College a year ago after completing an NVQ level 1 catering course at Carlisle College.

Mathew, of Aspatria, works at Lakeside Inn, Aspatria, in addition to his course.

He said: “The Devil’s Kitchen event will support all our training and make up part of our course. We’ve all been arranged into roles and tasks that you’d find in a professional kitchen.

“The level 2 students have been assisting the level 3 students so I have been put in charge of making dishes for the main course.”

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk