Culinary competition

The winning team of Mohammed Essawy, Alexander Edwards, Sharihan Mashary and Sabrina Swoboda with their table for the Academy Salon Culinaire

The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management put 12 students through their paces in the third semester Gastronomy Course — and Caterer was there to witness the end result. 

Who needs MasterChef, Chopped or Iron Chef? If you’re after a taste of competition, head to the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management in Dubai where students with a passion for F&B have been competing seriously for not only the highest grades, but also the chance to win a meal cooked by celebrity chef Gary Rhodes at Rhodes Mezzanine in Dubai.

Twelve students opted to take the Gastronomy Course in their third semester, during which they had to complete a number of assignments including food and beverage matching, food trends assignment, a salon culinaire — where they had to present “cold intended hot” a platter for six, a four-course dinner and a main course for two, all presented and glazed and displayed.

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Students, faculty, and family and friends came to look at the food on display, while chef Christian Gradnitzer from Madinat Jumeirah was on hand to help with marking and feedback.

Students were also tasked with developing and designing a menu, ordering and calculating food costs, and finally with serving the dinner itself to 30 guests. Three groups took it in turns to host an evening dinner of six courses with petit fours.  

The groups were all internally marked by the Academy’s executive chef and lecturer Helen Morris and director of culinary arts Mick Kitts, plus there were external judges at the events, Martin Koebke and Clive Rogerson.

The competition was tough, but there could only be one winner of the grand prize — congratulations to Mohammed Essawy, Alexander Edwards, Sharihan Mashary and Sabrina Swoboda.

The team said that they couldn’t do justice to the experience with words but commented: “Every once in a while in life you meet certain people and you go through certain life lessons that will teach you patience, pace, priority, preparation, passion and the perfect pair. You learn things that will be carved in your memory forever and it’s this memory that you will share with others.”

We wonder if they’ll share the prize too?!