Leading names from the culinary world have been joined by students from Loughborough College to make a high profile guest chef night an outstanding success.
The all-star line up at the College’s Radmoor Restaurant included former England cricketer and Celebrity MasterChef contestant Matthew Hoggard MBE; England Culinary team member and Wimbledon Executive Chef at Compass Group Rob Kennedy; Restaurant Associates head pastry chef Ana Paula Oliver; Brend Hotels’ Dez Turland; Roehampton Club Head Chef Adam Lestrelle and Ian Mark, who was part of the military chef trio who won the second series of TV’s Bake Off Crème de la Creme.
Hospitality and Catering lead and chef lecturer Darren Creed, himself an International Culinary Olympics medalist, provided the amuse bouche for the sell-out event which saw 18 students assist the top industry names during preparation and service, helping create an impressive five course menu for more than 50 diners.
“It was an incredibly busy day and evening but the atmosphere in the kitchen was fantastic. The students loved working alongside the chefs and gained so much from their expertise,” said Darren.
“And thanks to support from Koppert Cress, Direct Seafood, Quality Standard Mark beef and lamb we also had the opportunity to work with some amazing ingredients. We are enormously grateful to all the chefs and the suppliers for helping make the whole experience so much fun and such a success.”
Rob Kennedy added: “It was a pleasure to support and work such a great event at Loughborough College. The students’ standards were exceptional and their passion to learn was infectious across the team. College events like the one at the Radmoor are important to maintaining the interest, inspiration and knowledge of all our future chef heroes, whilst coaching them to become excited about the diversity of our great Industry.”
Dez Turland joined in praising the College’s hospitality and catering students: “I had the pleasure of working alongside fellow chefs and friends Rob Kennedy, Adam Lestrelle, Ana Paula Oliver and Ian “the beat” Mark but more importantly working with the students of Loughborough College. Their passion, desire and determination to soak up knowledge was a delight to witness and a testament to their lecturers. A special mention must go to both Emily and Toby who helped me to create the starter of Exmoor Corned Beef with Smoked Oxtail and Beer Pickled Onions - which in turn wouldn’t have been possible without the support of AHDB Beef & Lamb and Koppert Cress.”
“As always it was great to be returning to the Radmoor Restaurant with dedicated, talented students who have a huge amount of passion and will certainly take their skills and passion forward, becoming the talented chefs of the future,” added Adam Lestrelle. “Thanks once again to Darren for the invitation and to the other chefs Paula, Rob , Bear and Dez for the support and banter within the kitchen. Big thanks to Matthew Hoggard for joining me on the fish course! And of course not forgetting Direct Seafood, Koppert Cress and ADHB for their generosity and great support for the College. I look forward to returning in the future.”
“It was fantastic to be involved with the event at Radmoor Restaurant with the guest chefs and students,” said AHDB’s Karl Pendlebury. “What was apparent from the very beginning was the inspiration being soaked up by the students from the knowledge and enthusiasm of the chefs present. I hope that this was the first of many occasions that we can support the students learning with Quality Standard Mark beef and lamb and look forward to working with Radmoor Restaurant and Loughborough College again.”
After Darren’s amuse of choclo corn veloute, pancetta crumb, shiso purple and shiso green, Matthew and Adam produced a starter of Pollock with crispy nori skin, cauliflower textures, parmesan foam and limon and honey cress. Dez’s intermediate of corned Exmoor Beef Brisket with smoked Ox tongue, bone marrow crumb, black garlic ketchup, Sharps Wolf Rock ale and Zorri cress and Hippo tops was followed by Rob’s main course of Lake District lamb saddle, lamb fat potato, pressed meat loaf, pickled walnut, celeriac cream, Roscoff onion and cabbage confit, lamb jus and Kikuna leaves, Thyme and Persinette cress. Ana Paula Oliver and Ian Mark rounded off the menu with a Mojito Verrine, lime cream, white rum, lime and mint gels, crystallised baby mint, baked white chocolate and Limon cress pre dessert and a dessert of baked sweet meringue, olive oil ice cream, lemon gel, pistachio sponge, spiced chocolate creamaux, rosemary blackcurrant jelly and sorbet with micro Mint, Honey and Limon cress.
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Pictured: Loughborough College students with Darren Creed and Matthew Hoggard, Rob Kennedy, Adam Lestrelle, Ian Mark, Ana Paula Oliver and Dez Turland