Liaison College Progresses to Skills Canada "Chefs of Tomorrow" Provincial Competition

JUNE 2007. If you think Iron Chef is exciting ... you have yet to experience the excitement of competition for our upcoming Chefs of Tomorrow!

On Friday April 20th, the Barrie Campus of Liaison College Culinary Arts was the scene where it was decided which 2 student chefs would represent the college and the City of Barrie in the Ontario leg of the Skills Canada Competition.

The winner of this regional competition will go to Waterloo on April 30th to compete against all other culinary colleges in Ontario. The winner in Waterloo will progress to the Nationals on June 6th & 7th. The wnner of that competition then goes on to compete internationally in Japan, November 6th & 8th.

Our students have been preparing for this competition since they started their programs.

The format is that all students have the same 20 ingredients and 48 hours to design a menu. All menus must be presented by 8:30am Friday morning. The students then get 2 hours to prepare plate and present to the panel of 4 esteemed judges.

Our Judges were

• Master Chef Jim Garraway of Garraway’s Bistro
• Chef Tanis Hargrave of The Roving Chef
• Restaurateur Tammy Vallaincourt of The Fishbowl Restaurants
• And Chef Jeffrey Kenny of Personal Chef Services

8:30: The room is electric with concentration as the aspiring Chefs await their cue to begin. The signal is given and the competition begins!

The concentration and focus is unparalleled, the students start measuring and mixing, slicing, chopping grating and of course pureeing. There is very little talking as things get underway. The noise level slowly increases as the students get into their “Zones”.

As the 1 hour mark ticks by, the sense of urgency increases and the judges start to notice mistakes in procedures, sanitation and there are even a few disasters. The thrill of competition and the agony of defeat!

Time marches past until we are in the final 5 minutes when “BANG” a Crème Brule shatters along with hopes of Victory.

3…2….1… time is up!

Now the judges must taste, consult and mark each course, each technique, each presentation and sanitation.

At the end of a long and grueling wait, 2 students emerge Victorious!

Trevor Cadera and Jackie Fowler will represent Liaison College and The City of Barrie in Waterloo on April 30th. Stay tuned for results as we follow our next generation of Chefs on their culinary journeys!

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