Kyle Rosebury, Marcus Carter-Strutt and Lucinda Lageard make chef final

Hopwood Hall College’s young chefs Kyle Rosebury, Marcus Carter-Strutt and Lucinda Lageard

Young chefs Kyle Rosebury, Marcus Carter-Strutt and Lucinda Lageard have made it through to the Country Range Student Chef Challenge final.

The Hopwood Hall team, tutored by Sam Everett, will cook off against seven other culinary colleges from around the UK on the 15 March in the Live Theatre of ScotHot, Scotland’s biggest food, drink and hospitality show.

The semi-final took place at City of Liverpool College on the 13 February. Each team had 1 ½ hours to create and plate a three-course menu which consisted of the following:

• A vegetarian starter containing at least one super grain, such as amaranth, chia seeds, freekeh or quinoa 
• A main course that can contain meat or fish but must be centred around imaginative healthy cooking techniques 
• A dessert that should contain fruit where possible and refrain from containing too much butter and cream 

Emma Holden, Country Range Student Chef Competition Manager said: “It’s been a fantastic day of competition and the standard throughout the semi-finals has been incredibly high. Once again there some sublime dishes created but the Hopwood team really impressed with their skills, techniques and team work. We wish them all the best in the final at ScotHot.”

Craft Guild of Chefs’ Head judge Chris Basten commented: “The Hopwood team produced some amazing food, in a tidy and professional manner. It was a real pressure situation for them in there and they came through it with flying colours so they will certainly be one to watch in the final.”

Now in its 23rd year, the annual Country Range Student Chef Challenge, which is run in partnership with the Craft Guild of Chefs, has become the pinnacle for full-time hospitality and catering college students looking to showcase their culinary prowess and creativity, while developing "real life" catering skills and experience under intense pressure situations.

Should they win, in addition to taking home the Student Chef Challenge title, the Hopwood Hall chefs will also win the once in a lifetime opportunity to work with the Craft Guild of Chef’s culinary team in catering for over a thousand guests at the Craft Guild of Chefs Annual Awards 2017.