Chocolate-themed banquet at UCB was a sweet success

Cookery students at University College Birmingham helped top chefs serve up a chocoholic's dream dinner while raising hundreds of pounds for charity.

The trainee chefs and chef lecturers worked closely with Callebaut chocolatiers to produce a three-course meal for Hospitality Action, which helps people who work, or have worked, in UK hospitality and find themselves in crisis.

Level 2 and 3 Professional Cookery students were chosen to work on the preparation for the prestigious event as a reward for their enthusiasm and positive approach to hard work.

The dinner, held in UCB's Brasserie restaurant, was prepared by Callebaut Chocolate Ambassadors Alan Murchison, Willie Pike and Will Torrent. Each course had specially chosen chocolate ingredients and a selection of wines was selected to complement each dish.

Willie, a Callebaut consultant chef, showed guests how to create one of the intricate sugarcraft decorations displayed on the night.

John Penn, Assistant Dean of UCB's College of Food, said:

"The evening was a resounding success. The guests were well and truly spoilt and we raised over £1,000 for Hospitality Action."

Astrid Wears-Taylor, fundraising and marketing manager for Hospitality Action, said:

"We were absolutely delighted to have the support of University College Birmingham, the students, and all of the fantastic chefs involved in this chocolate-themed charity dinner. The evening was very successful and helped raise crucial funds for Hospitality Action."

The menu for the chocolate dinner was:

Starter (by Alan Murchison):  Roast scallops, cauliflower, curry, caraway and white chocolate.

Wines: Domaine de Vedilhan Serica/Viognier /Pays d'Oc France

Main course (by Willie Pike):  Confit leg of duck and chocolate fondant, sweet and sour cabbage, braised puy lentils, mandarin jelly, seasonal vegetables, duck jus.

Wines: Vistamar/Cabernet Syrah Gran Reserva/Maipo Valley Chil

Dessert (by Will Torrent):  Raspberry pistachio and milk chocolate delice

Wine: Elysium Black Muscat/California

Meet UCB at Birmingham Independent Food Fair

Birmingham's prestigious culinary institution is partnering with Birmingham Independent Food Fair 2014, a celebration of the city's food and drink.

To find out more about the fair, visit the website.

Author: ahmed