Calling all budding student chefs

Following on from last year’s success, BASC has once again joined forces with top UK venison processor Highland Game to run the BASC and Highland Game Colleges’ Cookery Competition.

The competition, which is open to catering students right across the UK, invites budding chefs to create their own inventive canapés using venison mince.

All entries will be scored on points system with ten points available for each of the following categories:

• Creativity
• Recipe clarity and precision
• Appearance/presentation of dish
• Ideas/inspiration for dish
• Suitability for event

The top five scoring chefs will then be invited to cook their dishes for an experienced judging panel in early 2023 to determine an overall winner.

The winner will attend the 2023 Eat Game Awards and serve their canapés to 250 guests, they will also win their own set of Flint&Flame knives. All finalists will also receive a signed copy of Jose Souto’s Game Larder book.

Last year’s competition was won by Fareham College student Kia Vincent, who impressed the judges with her Caribbean inspired dish.

She opted to use the venison mince to cook a Jamaican patty, which not only won over the three-man judging panel, but also the guests at this year’s Eat Game Awards.

Roy Ashcroft, chef lecturer at Fareham College, said: “I always thought that Kia would have a good chance because she’s really talented. There is a good backstory to her canapé as well – it was inspired by her homeland and her mum’s influence.

“When I tasted it, I was just blown away. It’s one of the nicest things I’ve ever had to be honest.”

The closing date for entries is 12 December 2022.