TEAMS CURRENTLY IN THE ROLLING TOP 8

March 2012

In alphabetical order:

• Colchester Institute
• Liverpool Community College
• Petroc
• Sheffield City College
• Shrewsbury College
• South Downs College
• University College Birmingham
• Westminster Kingsway College

There are further heats to be held at University College Birmingham (March 26th), Sheffield City College (March 30th) and Wessex Salon (April 3rd). The final top 8 will be announced after these dates.

Taste of Toque 2012....

What to do next

A team of three to include a commis, (who ideally will be a first year student), will be required to prepare, cook and serve a two course healthy lunch for 6 covers; 2 for judging and 4 for invited diners, in 2 hours.

The main course must not exceed 600 calories and the dessert needs to have the attributes of either KitKat®, Rolo® or Aero®. Mise en place allowed: peeled vegetables, not cut; uncooked pastry; weighed ingredients; stocks, Nestlé CHEF® products will be available and must be used in your chosen main course.

Consideration should be given to the inclusion of other products from the Maggi® range. Your food costs per person should not exceed £6 and the cost of ingredients will be paid for by Nestlé Toque d’Or®. Competitors are to provide all ingredients and small equipment. Prizes will include for all competing teams a new Toque d’Or uniform for all students, a generous award of equipment for the college, certificates and a place in the all new Nestlé Toque d’Or® Grand Finals, for the top 8 teams from all the Taste of Toque heats.

These will be held at the Salon Culinaire - Hotelympia 2012, The College of Food - University College Birmingham, The Sheffield College, The Wessex Salon Culinaire, Glasgow.

Nestlé Professional Launch the all brand new
NESTLÉ TOQUE D’OR PROGRAMME 2012

October 2011

‘TOQUE’ SPOT FOR COLLEGE OF FOOD, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM

Nestlé Toque d'Or® Winner announced - July 2011

Nestlé Toque d’Or®, the UK’s premier student catering competition – announces the College of Food, University College Birmingham has WON the coveted title at this year’s awards ceremony held at the Dorchester, Park Lane, on 8th July.

The College of Food, University College Birmingham competed at the very highest of standards, against Blackpool & The Fylde College, Belfast Metropolitan College, Grimsby Institute of Further Education, and Colchester Institute in the regional finals and then the Grand Finals at the BBC Good Food Show.

Chairman of Judges, acclaimed chef James Tanner, said; “I want to congratulate the College of Food, University College Birmingham once again. The entire team really rose to the occasion at the BBC Good Food Show in the Grand Finals.

I think it is incredibly easy to forget how young the individuals competing are and the phenomenal journey they have been on. It is a real test of skill, imagination, passion and commitment and what they manage to achieve is often nothing short of exceptional. I am privileged to be part of the competition and recognise the pivotal role it plays in developing the future of hospitality talent.”

Nestlé Professional®, Managing Director Neil Stephens congratulates the teams and looks forward to the future:

“I said at the beginning of the competition that the standard of entries this year had already surpassed that of previous years and how true that was. The College of Food, University College Birmingham and all the finalists have shown strength of character and skill beyond their years.

“Nestlé Toque d’Or® is more than a competition, it is experiential learning. It is a lifetime’s experience in one competition and provides a gateway to industry and an exceptional unparalleled journey. For example, our Grand Finalists have taken part in an Army style cook-off challenge – which pushed boundaries and required the teams to create and serve a three course meal in ‘field’ conditions – as well as taking the City and Guilds Nestlé Professional® Toque d’Or accreditation for Nutrition, Health and Wellness, which they all passed.

“It is our responsibility as an industry to find ways to encourage and nurture tomorrow’s talent and Nestlé Toque d’Or® is a great example of this. We look forward to celebrating the next generation of foodservice professionals.”

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE TEAM IN THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

July 2011

This year we’re launching the Nestlé Toque d’Or People’s Choice Award. We’re putting the power into your hands to let you have your say on which team you think deserves to win.

WIN TICKETS FOR THE TOQUE D’OR RESTAURANT

June 2011

The Grand Finals are just two weeks away and the contestants are hard at work perfecting their skills. We’re giving you the chance to experience the action at the finals for free by giving away four pairs of tickets to the BBC Good Food Show for the 15th, 16th, 17th and 19th June at the NEC in Birmingham. As well as your entrance ticket you will also receive a complementary reservation at the Toque d’Or Restaurant!

GRAND FINALS FAST APPROACHING

March 2011

With pressure building and the nervous energy reaching boiling point it can mean only one thing… the Grand Finals are just around the corner! This year’s Nestlé® Toque d’Or five finalist teams have been hard at work during the last few weeks.

Not only have they completed their City & Guilds’ Nestle Professional® Toque d’Or accreditation for Nutrition, Health and Wellness – a unique qualification that stands proud on every Nestlé® Toque d’Or finalist’s CV – but they also took part in a special armed forces challenge with the help from the British Army, which was a real test of skill, improvisation and team work.

This year’s Grand Finals, taking place at the Good Food Show Summer at the NEC on the 15-19th June, look set to be a fantastic showcase of the next generation of talent, so be sure to cheer on University College Birmingham, Blackpool & The Fylde College, Belfast Metropolitan College, Grimsby Institute of Further Education, and Colchester Institute at the show or follow them on Facebook.

FROM EDUCATION TO PERSPIRATION!
NESTLÉ® TOQUE D’OR TEAMS PUSHED TO THE MAX

City & Guilds and Field experience - March 2011

2011 has seen the Nestlé® Toque d’Or contest surpass the highest expectations in challenging student teams to the max in their journey to reach the Grand Finals –this year with the help of City & Guilds and The British Army.

Student teams (University College Birmingham, Blackpool & The Fylde College, Belfast Metropolitan College, Grimsby Institute of Further Education, and Colchester Institute), recently spent a day successfully completing City & Guilds’ Nestle Professional® Toque d’Or accreditation for Nutrition, Health and Wellness– a unique qualification from the UK’s leading awarding body, that stands proud on every Nestlé® Toque d’Or Finalist student’s CV.

But, the challenge didn’t end there…. little did this year’s Grand Finalists know as they went to bed that night, what was ahead of them when they were woken in the early hours of Tuesday 29 March, 2011.

Just two hours later, the five college teams were at a secret location close to the MOD's Worthy Down military training site in Hampshire, in possession of a ten man ration-pack as used by the armed forces when serving on overseas combat and faced with a tent set out with operational cooking equipment!

The challenge…? To prepare a nutritious, appetizing, three-course meal that would sustain a soldier incom bat, all from scratch in conditions similar to those faced by our forces out in the field. And, the teams had to prepare it fast – in less than three hours...

Marks were awarded for flair, pace and creativity – as well as common sense! The judges (made up of Army training officers) commended the students for “their flair, their determination and a strong sense of teamwork”. The scores will count towards the final outcome of the competition.

And, with no ‘downtime’ once the field exercise was complete, the college teams headed to Worthy Down Barracks to attend a master-class with Rob Marles, Nestlé Professional® development chef. Rob demonstrated how to prepare foraged ingredients including game to a standard that would grace the finest dining establishments in the land.

"An army marches on its stomach" says Lieutenant Colonel Nigel Shepherd, Chief Instructor, Defence Food Service School, “and this exercise was a real test of skill, improvisation and ‘thinking fast on your feet’ for each student whilst working within their teams”.

“Don’t let’s forget, there are all sorts of new challenges to face when cooking in these conditions and I am proud to say that every one of the dishes served to guests could have graced our own awards table.”

The day concluded with a unique insight for students into the other side of military dining, namely, a special candlelit dinner at the Officer’s Mess hosted by Lieutenant Colonel Nigel Shepherd. Again the students played their part - the Mess had been prepared by the Nestlé® Toque d’Or front of house teams, who went on to serve the entire meal.

Neil Stephens, Managing Director for Nestlé Professional® thanked the Army for their commitment to Nestlé® Toque d’Or and reinforced the value of encouraging the next generation of talent to experience the journey of discovery across all facets of foodservice.

“This was a very special and unique experience for us all” he said, “it certainly wasn’t easy, the teams were deliberately taken out of their comfort zones and presented with a fresh challenge. What they experienced was raw and tough and something they will never forget. We cannot thank the Army enough for its commitment and energy in partnering with us to create this unique training day, and in giving insights that would never normally be gained. It has helped us to provide a lifetime’s experience in one competition.”

The Nestlé® Toque d’Or Grand Finals are to be held at the BBC Summer Good Food Show in June, where each college must serve 100 covers to the paying public.

“TOQUE” MARKS FOR FIVE COLLEGES THROUGH
TO THE GRAND FINALS
DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

Grand Finalists Announced - 22 February 2011

Nestlé Toque d’Or®, the UK’s premier student catering competition – announces the FIVE talented and successful colleges to have WON a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete at the 2011 Grand Final; University College Birmingham, Blackpool & The Fylde College, Belfast Metropolitan College, Grimsby Institute of Further Education, and Colchester Institute.

With the regional heats having showcased some of the most exciting dishes to be prepared in the history of the competition Neil Stephens, Managing Director at Nestlé Professional® said: “this year looks set to be one of the most competitive and interesting Grand Finals we have ever experienced.”

“The raw talent and level of skill is incredibly impressive. It is great to see the colleges and the students embracing Nestlé Toque d’Or®. It really is a unique event which provides a lifetimes experience in one competition. The value can not be underestimated. We have seen some incredibly talented individuals take part in the competition and go on to achieve real success in this dynamic sector.”

Tony Robertson, Head Judge said “I have been blown away by what I have seen in the regional heats. One dessert in particular left me speechless. And with enthusiasm and fighting spirit in no shortage the Finals will be sure to impress.”

The countdown begins! With four months until the Grand Finals where each college must serve 100 covers at the BBC Summer Good Food Show, the teams will now face their biggest challenge to-date. The benchmark has been set high, it’s all to play for now!

TEAMS HAVE GONE THROUGH TO THE HEATS!

19 January 2011

The first teams to go through have just been announced.

CONGRATULATIONS BLACKPOOL & THE FYLDE COLLEGE!
Team will be competing on Tuesday the 1st February 2011

CONGRATULATIONS WARRINGTON COLLEGIATE!
Team will be competing on Wednesday the 2nd February 2011

CONGRATULATIONS UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM!
Team will be competing on Thursday the 3rd of February 2011

CONGRATULATIONS YORK COLLEGE TEAM 1
Team will be competing on Monday 7th February 2011

CONGRATULATIONS YORK COLLEGE TEAM 2
Team will be competing on Tuesday 8th February 2011

CONGRATULATIONS GRIMSBY INSTITUTE OF FURTHER EDUCATION
Team will be competing on Wednesday 9th February 2011

CONGRATULATIONS COLLEGE OF WEST ANGLIA
Team will be competing on Thursday 10th February 2011

CONGRATULATIONS BELFAST METROPOLITAN COLLEGE!
Have been selected to go through to the next round of the Toque d'Or 2011 Competition - the Regional Heats.
Your day for judging is confirmed as Monday 14th February.

CONGRATULATIONS CITY OF BATH COLLEGE!
have been selected to go through to the next round of the Toque d'Or 2011 Competition - the Regional Heats.
Your day for judging is confirmed as Wednesday 16th February.

CONGRATULATIONS NORTH WARWIVKSHIRE & HINKLEY COLLEGE!
have been selected to go through to the next round of the Toque d'Or 2011 Competition - the Regional Heats.
Your day for judging is confirmed as Thursday 17th February.

CONGRATULATIONS COLCHESTER INSTITUTE!
have been selected to go through to the next round of the Toque d'Or 2011 Competition - the Regional Heats.
Your day for judging is confirmed as Friday, February 18th.