Last week saw our second gourmet dinner of the month take place in The City Restaurant at our College Green centre.
Andrew Jenkinson, Head Chef at Lucknam Park Hotel, was the guest chef of the evening who lead the students in embarking on cooking up a storm for guests.
Andrew met Catering Lecturer, Ryan Fernandes, last year when he visited City of Bristol College and subsequently wanted to return, get stuck in and support our students with his expert culinary knowledge.
Or gourmet dinners see a complex menu being executed and delivered by our talented students under the watchful eye of guest chefs who bring their signature expertise.
Hospitality students then serve the dinners, having the opportunity to develop their practical and customer service skills.
Each invited guest chef hails from a different background, bringing with them menus boasting differing cuisines and specialities.
Reflecting on why he wanted to work with our students, Andrew said: “I think it’s nice to teach people new things, it also shows me if I can share my knowledge.
“I went to college, I know what it’s like and usually you don’t get to meet lots of different chefs, you only ever really see one angle and think that’s everything, so it’s nice to come here and bring my food. Here you can really see what other places do.
“I think when you’re 17 or 18, you don’t really see so much of what goes on, you just get told and you think that’s that. Whereas once you see it, you might think well that’s actually better than just putting a burger on a plate.”
The menu of the night was filled with indulgent dishes from poached Dover sole accompanied by shellfish foam and surfer clams, to beef fillet and a dessert that’s close to Andrew’s heart; crème caramel.
Talking of the menu he planned, Andrew commented: “The menu is something that I’ve come up with, there are a few of my dishes on there and a few dishes that I do at work that I enjoy creating. I know they’re good dishes so I wanted to bring them here to teach the students.
“The classic crème caramel was one of the first things I learnt to cook at college. I do it as my dessert everywhere I go. Coming back to a college and having that as my dessert is my way of paying homage to my college.”
Andrew is quite the advocate of breaking into the catering and hospitality industry by making the most of the experience you receive whilst studying at college.
He said: “You can learn great things at college, it’s a foundation for your career in catering and hospitality.
“College and catering and hospitality, in general, can propel you to places you never thought you would be, and you can end up meeting people you never thought you would meet and achieving things you didn’t think you could achieve.”
If you’d like to experience a gourmet dinner for yourself, you can view our remaining 2023 dates here.
