Catering students learn from patisserie expert

Catering students at Cambridge Regional College (@CRC_College) have been developing their technical skills in a patisserie masterclass with professional chef, Andrew Edwards.

The masterclass began with a discussion and demonstration on how to prepare, measure and combine the ingredients for the perfect meringue before setting the students on their way with making their own macarons.

Catering Lecturer, Jake Piper, said,

“After a particularly deep dive into the world of patisserie, our students did very well with the macarons. The group had a difficult job to do in covering a technically challenging aspect of patisserie and they did a great job, with the raspberry and lemon curd macarons being a particular triumph.”

After enjoying a successful career as a Pastry Chef at the prestigious Mandarin Hotel, London, and Head Pastry Chef and at Lloyds corporate offices, Andrew Edwards moved out of the capital to further his career; most recently as Head Chef at Angela Reed Café, Saffron Walden. In his current role, Andrew leads on the delivery of exquisite afternoon teas, cakes and treats and to support the next generation of chefs, he visited the Cambridge campus to impart his knowledge, experience and tips on the art of macaron making with level 2 and 3 professional cookery learners.

Andrew said, “It was a pleasure to share my knowledge and experience of working in patisserie with such dedicated learners. The groups took on board the instructions provided to produce impressive macarons.”

The introduction to pastry and patisserie, with an industry expert, not only provided the opportunity for the students to learn from an expert but also a chance to develop their technical skills in a challenging area of catering. Inspiring the learners in this way raises aspirations and builds on self-esteem, as it demonstrates that we can achieve anything with a positive approach and practice.