South Regional TAFE commercial cookery and hospitality students have again been invited to support celebrity chefs at the celebrated Margaret River Gourmet Escape 2018, demonstrating their assistance is highly valued at the annual food and wine festival.
Gourmet Escape is an internationally renowned food and wine festival which attracted more than 20,000 people to the event across three days last year.
This year, celebrity chefs including Nigella Lawson, Rick Stein, Ashley Palmer-Watts from Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and talented WA chef Matt Stone will work with locally sourced produce to create extraordinary food and wine experiences.
South Regional TAFE cookery students play a major role in preparing food at the Gourmet Village for the celebrity chef demonstrations, held at Leeuwin Estate winery, while hospitality students have the chance to prepare food and may be selected to serve food and wine on the main stage.
Commercial Cookery Lecturer Amanda Smith and Hospitality Lecturer Johnese Mullen work closely with the event organisers to ensure the students get to experience the fast pace and excitement of working at an international festival.
The experienced lecturers also supervise and support students during the event.
Ms Smith said it was a fantastic opportunity for the student to work backstage and learn how to think on their feet.
“We need to think ahead of the celebrity chef about what equipment we might need, and what problems might arise,” she said.
“It gives local students a chance to utilise their skills at an international event in a varied and challenging environment while providing them with exposure to a variety of wonderful industry contacts and potential career development networks.”
Applications are now open for South Regional TAFE commercial cooking and hospitality courses.
Visit www.southregionaltafe.wa.edu.au/courses/industries/hospitality-tourism-and-events for more info on the courses and the Margaret River campus.