Imperial chefs and service staff return triumphant from this year's TUCO Competitions in Blackpool, with Gold and Bronze awards in tow.

On 17 and 18 March, members, suppliers, press, partners and competitors gathered in Blackpool for the 2014 TUCO (The University Caterers Organisation) Competitions. This annual event showcases culinary and service skills and talent from many universities across the UK. 

The College’s competitors this year included three chefs, two serving staff and a barista. They entered:

• Chef’s Challenge – a ‘Masterchef-style’ fine dining three course menu invention test
• Static Salon Canapé competition, to design and produce a six-canapé menu
• Service Skills competition which aimed to recognise and encourage the importance of the Food Service team
• Barista Skills Challenge highlighting techniques, methodologies and sheer wizardry for coffee

Sous Chef Andy Crook and his winning canapes

Sous Chef Andrew Crook took the Static Salon Canape Challenge very seriously and offered an exquisite six-canapé menu, which sealed a Gold win for the College. His winning menu included:

• Savoury goats cheesecake with a baked puff pastry base and glazed muscat grapes
• Wild mushroom consomme terrine with a spinach mousse
• Salmon, white crabmeat and prawn nori roll with keta caviar and samphire seaweed
• Marinated anchovy fillet with a tomato tapenade on a baked rye bread base
• Ballotine of guineafowl with a Norfolk black pudding and baby leek farce coated with prosciutto and pistachio crust
• Roulade of foie gras on a toasted brioche base topped with glazed rhubarb and black truffle

Meanwhile, the two-day Service Skills Challenge took account of not only the preparation of the food service areas and table settings, but competitors were judged on their level of customer care, product knowledge and technical skills. Imperial’s Gergana Ivanova Doyninska performed superbly to win Bronze for the second year running.

Chefs Steve Robertson and Stevan Bedward along with barista Pariwartan Napal and serving staff member Kristina Mitasiunaite also faced some stiff competition, producing and performing with professionalism and diligence.

Jemma Morris, Head of Catering at Imperial said: “These awards really emphasise the importance of the catering team in our College, not only in the preparation of the food and drink, but importantly in the level of customer care and the knowledge and skills demonstrated in the service, in order to provide a first-class meal experience for every customer.”