Students Compete in the Havering College Restaurant Skills Competition

Created to find the best catering student, the college held a competition that tested the student’s ability to cater at a fine dining level.

All students were given a menu with a choice of wines. They had to set up a table to the correct fine dining standard which included clean and polished tableware, a precisely laid table cloth, cutlery and glassware appropriate to the menu and napkins folded in four different ways. The table had to be fully set with condiments, flowers and a table number and this all had to be achieved within 30 minutes. Finally, students had to ensure that their uniforms were correct and smart

It was a close competition with the final decision going to professional judge Laura Jelly, a former catering student from Havering College. Laura had attended the course 13 years ago and is now a sous chef at The Marriott Hotel, London.

The winner was Ethan Cameron, a full time student studying Diploma Level 2 in Professional Cookery and Level 2 in Food & Beverage Service.

Ethan, proved to be the best student from the whole catering team this year when asked to prepare the restaurant for a “Fine Dining Event”, with different types of napkin folds, using high class crookery and glasses within a set time.

Ethan received a trophy, a College Certificate and a complimentary gift voucher for “Fine Dining Dinner” for two at The Holiday Inn, Brentwood. This was presented by Mr. Richard Roberts, Executive Chef, who is a great asset to our College providing our catering students with opportunities for work and also helping the catering team with their assessments.

Tony Pecoraro, The Food Service Lecturer and Restaurant Manager, of The Jubilee Restaurant said: “Ethan was well prepared for the competition and demonstrated excellent restaurant skills throughout the day”.