Students cook for discerning diners

Ali Imhoof and Deborah Allan, both of Queenstown, and Vida Thompson, of Alexandra, won the second annual Beef and Lamb Challenge held at Otago Polytechnic's Cromwell campus recently. Photo supplied.
Ali Imhoof and Deborah Allan, both of Queenstown, and Vida Thompson, of Alexandra, won the second annual Beef and Lamb Challenge held at Otago Polytechnic's Cromwell campus recently. Photo supplied.
Final-year cookery students from Otago Polytechnic's Cromwell campus cooked New Zealand-produced beef and lamb for potentially their most important critics recently - sheep and beef farmers.

The students were taking part in the second annual Beef and Lamb Challenge, which involved cooking for members of Beef and Lamb New Zealand's Central South Island Farmers Council, along with meat industry personnel such as Alliance Group chairman Owen Poole.

Cromwell campus chef lecturer Roydon Cullimore said six teams of three students had to work on their own recipes for lamb entrees, beef main dishes, and desserts.

They then had to prepare up to nine covers, one plate of each dish for display and a menu card.

"It really is a great way of them showcasing their skills back to growers. At the same time, they can get feedback from people who know a lot about beef and lamb," Mr Cullimore said.

The event, judged by Karen Marinkovic, of Riverrun Lodge in Wanaka, and Alliance Group promotions manager Ross Thomson was won by a team comprising Deborah Allan and Ali Imhoff, of Queenstown, and Vida Thompson, of Alexandra.