Budding chefs face their fiercest critics

Cooking up beef and lamb dishes to be served to the fiercest critics - the farmers who produce the meat, was a nerve-racking task for Otago Polytechnic Cromwell campus hospitality students yesterday.

Eighteen budding chefs took part in the Beef and Lamb Challenge, and had to prepare a four-course dinner being served last night to the Southern South Island Sheep and Beef Council as well as Alliance Group staff and Meat and Wool New Zealand directors and staff.

The latter two organisations donated the meat.

Beef and Lamb New Zealand nutrition manager Fiona Carruthers said it was an ideal chance to combine the new contest with the annual meeting of the sheep and beef council in Cromwell.

"The neat thing about the competition is they are cooking for the people who have produced the meat, so their fiercest critics, perhaps, are the ones they are serving," she said.

The chefs were in their first or second year of studying cookery and were combined into nine teams of two.

They had to prepare and cook freshly baked ciabatta with olive oil and walnut dukkah, an entree of rosemary and macadamia crusted lamb cutlets, a main that included peppered beef and braised rib, with whisky sauce, followed by raspberry and white chocolate creme brulee for dessert.

"The students are all working with the same menu, but they get to add their own twist and show some initiative," Ms Carruthers said.

As well as cooking, the contest involved the students in work away from the kitchen.

They had to dress the table and serve the meal.

The judges were polytechnic tutor Chris Smith, Alliance's procurement manager Murray Behrent and Cally Johnstone, of Millers Flat, who was involved in the hospitality industry.

All the diners were asked to rate the meal and service.

The results were to be announced last night and the winning teams received cash prizes.

lynda.van.kempen@odt.co.nz