Students serve up success

Whangarei Girls' High School won the Regent New World Top School Trophy at the Northland Salon Culinaire. From left are: Nicki Knier, Lillian Leathem (sponsor), Ellen Wiggins, Juanita Woodbury, Hughie Blues (chief judge) Martina Whitaker, Brianna Cossey, Nazia Khan and Nora Jepsen.

The hospitality industry in Northland faces a bright future if the talent which competed at last Sunday's Northland Salon Culinaire is anything to go on.

Whangarei's NorthTec hosted more than 80 potential top chefs, baristas and front-of-house students from NorthTec Hospitality, NorthTec Trades Academy, The Culinary Institute of New Zealand, Whangarei Girls' High School and Kerikeri High School as well as people already working in the industry at the event.

Hughie Blues, Salon Culinaire director and Northland Chefs member (Northland branch of the NZ Association of Chefs) said skills at the competition seemed to get better each year.

"With so much talent wanting to achieve at this high level it can only be a good thing for the future of the Northland hospitality industry."

Whangarei Girls' High School picked up the Top School Trophy and Girls' High students Martina Whitaker won the smoothie competition for secondary school students while Ellen Wiggins was runner-up.

Girls' High senior hospitality teacher Nicki Knier said the competition developed confidence among students but also made them realise such events could be fun. She said several students from the school had gone on to work in the industry or studied further.

NorthTec Level 4 cookery student Chloe Heappy and Rachel Tribble, a Level 5 diploma in hospitality student, battled for the Penguin Wholesalers Northland Commis Chef of the Year, with Ms Heappy winning by two points. She will represent Northland at the New Zealand Chefs National Salon in Auckland at the end of July.

NorthTec's Carmen Foster and Whitney Moore won the Nestle Professional Magic Box team event ahead of three other teams in a two-and-a-half hour pressure test to design and cook four portions of an entree and a main course from a box of ingredients they receive on the day. Rachel Tribble and Dawinda Singh won an innovation prize for clever use of the ingredients.

NorthTec's Mere Herewine won the barista championship and Ngawhetu Sadler-Petera was runner-up.

The Northland Salon Culinaire began in 2007.