North West Regional College staff and students have benefitted from work experience at Le Manoir since 2008 and now the two Michelin star hotel and restaurant is offering the Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons Work Placement Award to give students who study at the six FE colleges in Northern Ireland the opportunity to achieve excellence in the kitchen.
North West Regional College held its regional heat this week for this unique competition, which will enable one lucky student chef from the province to work with some of the world’s finest chefs. The winner from North West Regional College was Joanne McCallion, a student on the NVQ Level 3 in Professional Cookery, who just edged ahead of her fellow competitors.
The judges, Brian McDermott, the Community Chef, and Walter Tsang, Head Chef and owner of Yoko Noodle Restaurant in Coleraine, were impressed by Joanne’s complex and ambitious three course menu. In just two and half hours Joanne produced a starter, Trio of Seafood, comprising Crab Brandad, Monkfish wrapped in Parma Ham, and a Scallop with Green Pea Puree and Hollandaise Sauce. This was followed by a tantalising main of Smoked Fillet of Beef accompanied by wilted spinach, wild mushroom and sweet potato cannelloni and a pancetta jus.
For her dessert course Joanne added a touch of magic serving her Chocolate Panna Cotta, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Brandy Snap and Cherry sorbet with a Pistachio Cream and Cherry Milkshake, on a bed of dry ice. The spectacular presentation of her dishes matched the exquisite flavours created by the 22 year old, and secured her a place in the Northern Ireland wide final which will be held in the College in May this year.
Joanne will compete against the five other college winners for a magnificent prize of 2 weeks Work Placement at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and a bursary of £300 towards travel costs. This tailor made kitchen placement will provide the winner with a one-off unique experience, and includes accommodation and mentorship from the staff at La Manoir. Joanne is hoping to be that overall winner who would follow in the footsteps of many of the world's finest chefs that Raymond Blanc has nurtured the talents of in his kitchens at Le Manoir, which is also the location for Raymond’s successful BBC series Kitchen Secrets.
During the regional heat the College also put its front of house students to the test, with a Hospitality Challenge judged by Anne Tsang and Jamie Shek of Yoko. The service award was won by Level 3 student Raymond Callaghan.
You can view the facebook photo gallery from the event here
Emmett McCourt, Catering Lecturer at NWRC was featured on UTV's 'Lesser Spotted Ulster', cooking his recipes that will feature in the forthcoming book, Feast or Famine. Emmett spoke to presenter Joe McMahon about the project, supported by NWRC, which is aiming to celebrate the culinary heritage of the food provenance in Counties Derry and Donegal. You can watch the programme again here:
UTV Lesser Spotted Ulster, 17th January 2012
Chair of DEL Committee dines in The Flying Clipper
Staff and students were delighted to welcome Basil McCrea MLA who enjoyed lunch in the restaurant with local councillors on his recent visit to Derry~Londonderry. Mr McCrea is the Chair of the Northern Ireland Assembly's Committee on Employment & Learning and also enjoyed some of the student's hard work when they showcased their talent at Parliament Buildings, Stormont.
Showcasing at WorldSkills:
Lecturer Emmett McCourt and a team of four students showcased their skills with a cookery demonstration at WorldSkills 2011 in London. Thousands of visitors saw the students prepare unique dishes celebrating the culinary heritage of Derry and Donegal.
Watch the video here
Essential Skills Award:
For the 3rd year running Chef Lecturer John Crowe collected a prestigious accolade at the Professional Association for Catering Education (PACE) Awards. John won the ‘Innovative Learning Materials’ award for assisting students to gain essential skills alongside their practical skills training.
Textbook honour: Budding chefs from across the UK are learning to cook a locally designed dish, following the inclusion of a recipe by North West Regional College lecturer Emmett McCourt in the Professional Chef Level 2 Diploma, 2nd edition, which is described as “THE guide for learners looking to take their professional cookery skills to the next level” and includes the Strand Road based lecturer as a Regional Guest Chef. The textbook is used for those training to become professional chefs in colleges and cookery schools across the UK and Ireland and is the most relevant and up-to-date level 2 Professional Cookery book on the market.
Emmett is also working on his own book, Feast or Famine, which is celebrating the culinary heritage of Co Derry and Co Donegal.
Raymond Blanc Placement:
Staff Douglas Walker and John Crowe, and a number of students have had the opportunity to work at the 2 Michelin Star restaurant of celebrity chef Raymond Blanc – Le Manoir, in Oxfordshire. The college has developed an excellent working relationship with the team at the Restaurant and even welcomed Mark Peregrine, Head Tutor at Le Manoir Cookery School to demonstrate to local industry and the general public in the College Restaurant.
Masterchef Series:
The College runs a Masterchef programme throughout the year, welcoming in some of the finest chefs from the province and beyond to demonstrate their skills and share their expertise with both students and fellow chefs. Recent Masterchefs included Ian Brown, Walter Tsang and Mark Peregrine.
