Ayr College scoops Brakes Group student chef team award
A trio of three young chefs from http://www.brakesce.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Ayr College](http://www.ayrcoll.ac.uk/index.php) have won the 2011 [Brakes ](http://www.brakesgroup.com/)Group Student Team Chef Challenge in a live competition at the [ScotHot ](http://www.scothot.co.uk/)hospitality show in Glasgow's SECC last week.
But the overall standard among the five competing colleges was so high that judge Martin Bates, chief executive officer at the [Craft Guild of Chefs](http://www.craftguildofchefs.org/), said there was only one point of difference between first and second place.
The teams were tasked with devising a three-course meal for four at a cost of no more than £12 per head and were judged on their regional menus, taste, presentation, teamwork, seasoning, culinary skills, working methods and overall menu balance.
[Marriott Hotel County Hall London ](https://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/lonch-london-marriott-hotel-county-hall/)and chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs.
They also win a year's free membership of the guild and a set of Global knives.
"The final was a fantastic barometer for the emerging talent we have in the catering world …however, the winning team was exceptional - pulling out all the stops and demonstrating that they could source and cost product effectively, while showing off their creativity and cooking abilities," said Basten, who was also part of the judging panel along with Ian MacDonald of the [Federation of Chefs Scotland](http://www.scottishchefs.com/).
Ayr College course lecturer Norman Robertson said the Brakes' challenge "gives our students a chance to work under pressure in teams in front of well-respected chefs, giving them an insight into the industry and how it works".
The teams from [Westminster Kingsway College](http://www.westking.ac.uk/home/Default.aspx) and [Oxford and Cherwell Valley College ](http://www.ocvc.ac.uk/)who took second and third place in the competition each take home £150 [Brakes Catering Equipment vouchers for their colleges.
