In the News...

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.