Students win top awards at NW Commis Chef of the Year Competitions
Two students from Blackburn College are celebrating after winning first places at the Association Culinaire Francaise (ACF) North West Commis Chef of the Year Competitions.
Suzette Dixon, 32 of Audley Range, Blackburn won the Eric Walker Cup in the Commis Chef competition with her dishes of Sole Veronique and a chicken dish cooked two ways, chicken drumstick braised in a red wine sauce and a chicken breast stuffed with a black pudding mousse with a grain mustard and white wine sauce.
The Level 3 Professional Cookery student had two and a half hours to make the dishes in the Masterchef style cook-off competition where students are given a list of ingredients The starter course was prescribed, whilst the main course was freestyle.
Suzette who works at the Maritime Museum in Liverpool said: “I’m ecstatic. It hasn’t sunk in yet, it feels like a dream but I’m so pleased that my hard work has paid off. I’ve been practising a lot and I can’t wait to tell my family and everyone at work.”
Blackburn College also won the Pastry Chef competition. Samantha Cockburn, 24 of Bolton Road, Blackburn beat off stiff competition to take home the Dougie Simpson Cup with her Lemon Tart and Charlotte Russe. Samantha who is studying on the Level 2 Professional Cookery course had only a week to practice her dishes.
Samantha said: “It doesn’t seem real, I can’t believe I’ve won. I’m really pleased that I’ve won as it feels like I’ve achieved something and that it’s proof that I can do it.”
The competition, organised by the Association Culinaire Francaise North West branch were held at Blackburn College. Students from nine colleges across the north of the country competed, including students from Preston, Doncaster, Accrington & Rossendale, Llandrillo, Deeside, Manchester, Salford and Hopwood Hall Colleges.
Sue Kenyon, Committee and Branch Secretary of the ACF said: “The standards of this years competition have been exceptionally high and each year they just seem to get better. This is thanks to the hard work of the Colleges, their tutors and their students.”
Iain Steele, the Tutor who trained Suzette, and Ian Sutherland, the Tutor who trained Samantha said: “We are incredibly proud of our students and it is a reflection of their hard work and dedication. They deserved to win. We have won this competition several times in the past so we have a good track record.”
Both Blackburn College students will attend an official presentation dinner at Harvey Nichols in Manchester and have the opportunity to compete in the North West region Escoffier Challenge in June.
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