USAPECC holds Cooking Competition for Technical Universities

Some of the students preparing their meal

Ten students from various technical universities across the country put their cooking prowess to a test in a biennial culinary competition last week in Accra.

The competition was organised by the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPECC).

The ten contestants were among 80 other students who had earlier under­gone a two-day hands-on training under the tutelage of renowned American Chef David Bonom. They were tasked to prepare a main meal and a dessert with USA chicken and processed egg respectively.

Chef Rutherford Opoku-Boahene and his staff from the Labadi Beach Hotel were also among the trainers and judg­es for the culinary competition.

The participating institutions were Cape Coast, Tamale, Bolgatanga, Ho, Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Koforidua, and Sunyani Technical Universities.

In the end Ms Victoria Armah, a level 200 hospitality and management student of Koforidua Technical Univer­sity was adjudged the overall winner of this year’s edition of the National American Chicken Cooking Competition for Technical Universities.

She was presented with a certifi­cate, numerous culinary products and a four-month industrial internship with the Labadi Beach Hotel under the supervision of the first Ghanaian Chef, Rutherford Opoku-Boahene at a five-star hotel.

Chef Bonom praised the students for their desire to become excellent chefs in the future and showed delight over their capacity to think creatively and offer something special to their talent.

He stated that the goal of the training was to sharpen the skills of the students in culinary and also provide them with a taste of Western recipes to use in their kitchen when they become chefs.

Chef Kofi Agyekum, one of the judges said such training offered oppor­tunities for the youth to develop their culinary skills, expand the culinary industry in the country and ultimately prepare them for careers in the cook­ing industry.

Whilst the 10 contestants battled it out in the kitchen, the other 80 students were on industrial tour with their Heads of Department at Newrest Ghana.

The USAPECC has been conducting informative campaigns across the coun­try driving loyalty, product awareness and consumer education.

The latest campaign is to educate students from Technical universities on nutritional benefits of poultry products.

By Portia Hutton-Mills