training: leaviNg a legacY by gary hunter
in the finest way possible. The doors to some of the world’s best kitchens
were unlocked upon their graduation. Paul Bocuse has created a legacy that
is arguably bigger and more sustainable than his restaurants, in that he has
introduced his culinary values and principles to thousands of chef students
worldwide.
My next visit to Lyon wasn't soon enough, and travelling with a group of
Westminster students and lecturers we decided to undertake a gastronomic
visit to the city and take in the World Cup of culinary competitions, the Bocuse
d’Or. This bi-annual competition paired alongside the Coupe du Monde de
Patisserie and it is frequently referred to as the culinary equivalent of the FIFA
World Cup. Up to forty eight nations are represented, each with a team of two- a chef and a deputy. With every presented dish delicately and enthusiastically
paraded through a stadium in front of a long table of judges. This two-day
competition sees the national teams squeezed into a line of identical mini
kitchens. The atmosphere in each mini kitchen is remarkably abstract to the
main arena. The chefs were exuding stress, concentration, sweat, adrenaline
and acutely aware of the clock ticking the time away. The arena facing them
was a cacophony of noise, thousands of seats occupied to support their
own country, the cheering and chanting of the flag waving supporters being
conducted by the competition presenters beaming everything live onto large
overhead screens and onto the Internet for everyone to view. This is certainly the
world’s biggest and most frantic culinary competition. It is a celebration of the
finest food delivered by the most dedicated chefs in the world.
The introduction of competitions to our students is given to them during
their very first year at our college. Throughout their time there are plenty of
opportunities available and encouraging mentors to support them. It's not
for everyone, but it does present competitors with a steep learning curve.
Practicing outside of our normal working hours, honing technical skills,
engineering dishes, cooking against the clock, working swiftly, hygienically and
with strict concentration. Only to be judged at the end by eagle-eyed chefs
who collude with their peers and then conclude that you should turn up the
same time tomorrow and run through again in preparation for the big day. It is
this repetition and attention to detail, including the preparation and planning
for each practice that delivers essential skills under pressure. And this is
the main reason why Westminster Kingsway College has such a strong
reputation for our competition work, it is an essential part of our teaching
philosophy and we have as many internal Faculty competitions as we
enter external competitions. It's no mistake that some of the best colleges
around are prolific in entering culinary and hospitality competitions. And
an acknowledgment must be made to our leading chef associations who
truly support and lead on this with the Nestle Toque d’Or, Annual Awards
of Excellence, Graduate Awards, Young Chef of the Year Competition and
many more too numerous, but no less worthy to mention.
Paul Bocuse has created a universal legacy. I could have written a
book about how he has influenced my career and philosophies. I
know many readers will feel the same too. ‘Monsieur Paul’ stood at
his kitchen Altar and opened the gate to global culinary achievement
that transcended French Cuisine, this was way beyond the reach of his
restaurants and Michelin stars. He has left an unfading fingerprint on
our own dining plates.