Celebrity chef cooks up academic delights
Posted on 13 March 2002
They'll be taking part in a cookery course designed to inspire them to new culinary heights in their daily role of providing food for the 9,500 students and the 2,500 academic and support staff at the Heslington campus.
On Thursday Paul will be in the kitchens of York College demonstrating the recipes for a three-course menu which will be served to the University's senior management on Friday evening at Kings Manor. It includes salmon terrine, Thai chicken saute, and poached pear with ginger and a lime sabayon.
Having watched his demonstration, the eight chefs will be paired off, briefed by Paul and given the ingredients and just 90 minutes to prepare a dish of their own devising, as in the television competition Ready Steady Cook.
On Friday they will be at the medieval Kings Manor in the centre of York, home of the University's Centre for Medieval Studies and Department of Archaeology, to prepare the three-course meal for the evening. Paul will be on hand to offer advice and help with the presentation of the dishes.
At the dinner Paul will join the guests, introduce each of the dishes, and tell the guests about the aim of the two-day workshop for the University's chefs. The talk will offer an insight to the 30 guests about what actually goes on behind the scenes in a kitchen, and will also explain the role of the front-of-house team at a hospitality event.
"Paul Rankin's visit is a serious training exercise designed to motivate our staff in their delivery of new and innovative food, and to launch our catering training for staff under executive chef Andy Woods committed to improving the craft skills of our staff," explained Andy Macdonald, Director of Facilities Management for the University. "We have 12 outlets across the campus serving a range of food from traditional meals to baguettes and pizzas. We're always looking for new and tempting ideas."
Notes to editors:
- Picture opportunity: Friday 15th March, 1.30pm - 7pm, Kings Manor, Exhibition Square, York
- Paul Rankin is providing the training through his consultancy work for Sodexho Education who provide management services for the University of York's catering operations.