Bay of Plenty Polytechnic students, back left clockwise Mauria Urwin, Logan Carr, Conor Baird, Atawhai Tawa, Sasha Turfrey, Mikayla Edhouse, Kristina McLaren and Janice Ward. Photo/supplied
Bay of Plenty Polytechnic students, back left clockwise Mauria Urwin, Logan Carr, Conor Baird, Atawhai Tawa, Sasha Turfrey, Mikayla Edhouse, Kristina McLaren and Janice Ward. Photo/supplied
Sous chef Roydon Abbot hit a mine of dessert gold at the recent New Zealand Chefs' National Salon in Auckland.
Roydon, from The Phoenix on The Strand, scooped top prize in the live dessert open category with his Banana Goldmine.
As the category name implies, the dessert has to bemade in front of a panel of judges in the pressure cooker environment created by a ticking clock and being surrounded by other competitors.
"It's obviously easier to do it at work where you know where everything is and you don't have French Cordon Bleu judges looking over your shoulder and asking you what you are doing," he says.
"But I tend to zone out and focus on what I'm doing. My family always comes up to watch and cheers and shouts for me. Then they ask if I heard them and I have to say 'no' -I just zone out and focus on what I'm doing."
He does, however, keep a close eye on the clock to make sure he is tracking to finish and plate up in time.
The dessert was made up of banana sponge resting on chocolate soil with Cointreau jelly, dark chocolate shard and a rum and butterscotch sauce.
He says that while soil isn't a commonly used term, being more likely to be given to an element of a molecular gastronomy dish - he preferred it to using the word "dirt".
Also at the competition, Stephanie Anne Bennett, of The Dry Dock Cafe, was awarded bronze in the open celebration cake category, as well as Nicholas Sorrenson, from Trinity Wharf, who was given a merit award in the open barista section.
Several Bay of Plenty Polytechnic students also competed in various training categories with Atawhai Tawa awarded bronze in the prawn section, Conor Baird (silver) in the classic nicoise class and Mauria Urwin (silver) in the live dessert category.
"Culinary arts students worked hard to have creative dishes and good work practices to compete at this national event, putting in the many hours of development and training," says tutor Lee Pearce.
He brought in expert help from chef Simon Green of Trinity Wharf and restaurant service skills from Gary Cannon of Southern Hospitality.
"This was such a great opportunity to be pushed and learn to cope with the demands of competition."
Sous chef Roydon Abbot concocted the Banana Goldmine won the live dessert prize. Photo/Andrew Warner
