Top chefs get to see "unique" college departments

Over forty top chefs have been given an insight into the unique catering, hospitality and agricultural department at Newtown’s NPTC Group campus.

Students from NPTC Group Newtown Campus worked with Hefin Roberts, (Head Chef at Ye Old Bulls Head Inn) and Master Patissier, Massimo Bishop-Scotti of Zucchero Patisserie in Cardiff to prepare and serve  canapés for a tough audience of culinary experts and industry people at the colleges  the Themes Restaurant.

NPTC Group  says it is the only college in Wales and possibly the UK where the catering and agriculture curriculum sit in the same school, thus allowing the whole food chain from conception to consumption to be fully integrated.

Mandy Carter, Senior Lecturer at NPTC Group Newtown Campus said: “It is really important for our students to work with local chefs.

 “I was first introduced to The Chefs’ Forum by Nick Brodie, Head Chef at Llangoed Hall and I then arranged for our students to work at the highly successful launch event there last March.

 “Since then, our students have worked very closely with Nick, one of our Level 3’s has secured a full time job there.

“Nick even staged ‘An evening with Nick Brodie’ here at the College.  It is also great to welcome Hefin and Massimo here to work with our students today.”

Lecturer Shaun Baily performed a lamb butchery demonstration to the students and chefs.

The students entered a lamb patty-making competition won by Alice Yeoman  who received a Bart Repertoire spice hamper and signed copy of Vanilla Black kindly donated by the author, top London chef Andrew Darg.

“The NPTC Group is fortunate to have a strong team of lecturing staff that work to their strengths from Barista sills to Butchery – thus ensuring  the best tutoring for the students,” said a college spokesperson.

“Catering students learn to grade livestock at the College farm - sheep and beef and then follow the animals to the abattoir, the meat then returns to the kitchen.”

Sue Lloyd-Jones, Head of School catering, hospitality and agriculture across the NPTC Group said: “We are delighted to welcome The Chefs’ Forum along to NPTC Group Newtown Campus. It’s a great opportunity for the chefs to see how they could and should utilise local produce and how we are instilling this knowledge into our learners, the chefs and employees of the future.

“Working today’s Chefs’ Forum event gives our students industry event experience alongside the chance to network with some of the best chefs in Wales whilst adding to their personal VRQ/NVQ Levels 1-3 portfolio and enhances their employability skills.”

Neil Bowden, agriculture lecturer gave the visiting chefs a tour of the college farm, he concluded: “It is great to show Chefs’ Forum members around Fronlas farm to see production methods at first hand and have the opportunity to understand the need and the importance of the role the farm plays in pasture to plate education and insuring the right meat reaches the table.”

 Caption: Chefs (L-R) Michael Joslin, (Monolith Kamado Grills), Hefin Roberts, Head Chef at Ye Old Bulls Head Inn and Master Patissier, Massimo Bishop-Scotti of Zucchero Patisserie, Cardiff, provided demos in the kitchen.