Highlands College annual Production Kitchen Event
On Thursday 29th March catering students at Highlands College will be joined by Executive Head Chef Mark Jordan, Head Sommelier Sergio dos Santos and Head Pastry Chef Jarek Nowakowski from the Michelin-starred Ocean Restaurant as they prepare and serve a specially designed menu in the College’s Academy Restaurant for their annual Production Kitchen event.
Having worked behind the scenes for the day with the students Mark, Sergio and Jarek will then be on hand to answer visiting diners’ questions. Accompanying Mark and Sergio for the first time will be talented Head Pastry Chef Jarek Nowakowski, the latest addition to the award-winning kitchen brigade. Jarek brings with him a wealth of knowledge from time spent at some of the world’s very finest establishments, including Midsummer House in Cambridge.
This annual event is now in its fourth year and is intended to give Highlands College’s catering students real practical experience along with the responsibility of devising and delivering a range of dishes for paying customers.
Fourteen first and second year diploma and certificate students are tasked with preparing and serving a specially designed three-course menu for up to 42 diners. The cost of the evening is £39.50 including wines and many of the guests enjoy the event so much that bookings are taken as far ahead as a year in advance.
Demonstrating his continued commitment to developing new local talent Mark will be working with the students in the kitchen as they prepare delicious dishes such as “Lobster Espuma”, “Pan Roast Sea Bass” and “Orange Granite”.
One of the College’s Catering Department’s aims is to work with local hotels and restaurants as much as possible and Dominic Farrell is the Chef Lecturer responsible for enticing Mark to the Highlands College kitchen. Dominic enjoys a particularly good relationship with Mark having worked as Sous Chef in The Atlantic Hotel’s kitchen for a number of years after joining the team in November 2003.
Patrick Burke, Owner and Managing Director of The Atlantic Hotel, said “We are proud of our great relationship with Highlands College and I am a firm believer in supporting young local talent. We are determined to do anything we possibly can to encourage anyone interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality industry and have had some extremely gifted young chefs in our kitchen who have successfully completed their training in the catering school.”