The appetising aroma of boiling vegetables and an excited buzz of voices filled the air at Breeze Residency in the city on Sunday, where enthusiastic young students, including differently abled, tried their hand at dishing out delectable.
They were participants in ‘Trichy got talent – budding chefs competition’ organised by the hotel. The two-day competition organised on Sunday and Monday saw around 100 eager participants competing for a chance to showcase their culinary skills. Students from three catering colleges and 10 schools were among the participants.
Competitions were held under two categories – one for school students and differently abled and the other for students of catering colleges. A parent was allowed to assist each differently abled child. While the first group was judged on basic knowledge, creativity and presentation skills, the catering students’ group was judged on the authenticity of its dishes. A delectable whiff of tomato and capsicum wafted through the air as the eager participants tried their hand at preparing a vegetable salad, welcome drink, and vegetable cutting, in addition to filling a food questionnaire, all within 45 minutes. A group of judges then proceeded to taste the dishes, which signalled that the first round of the contest had drawn to an end. I often assist my mother while cooking. An interest in cooking inspired me to try my hand at this competition and it has been an interesting experience so far. I believe I have done well and hope to get selected for the next round,” said N. Pavithra, a class 12 student of St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School.
Two more rounds are to follow on Monday, each of which would test different skills of the budding chefs. Top 50 recipes would feature in a special recipe book to be published by the hotel. First prize is a trip to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Private catering colleges have offered discounted fees for the winners to learn catering.
The objective of the competition is to spread a positive message about the hospitality industry in India and to make people aware of the potential of the industry in terms of remuneration, growth, and job security, said P.D. Vincent, general manager, Breeze Residency.
