A cookery student from St Keverne carved through the competition to win a Chefs’ Forum butchery showdown at the Headland Hotel in Newquay.

Tom Roskilly, a Level 1 Professional Cookery student from Truro and Penwith College with no butchery experience, had a shoulder of pork to butcher and to prepare a French Trimmed Rib of Pork, winning the skills test against more experienced Level 3 students.

The Chefs’ Forum was held at the Headland Hotel in Newquay and brought the catering industry together to inspire future and current chefs.

Professional cookery students from across the county, including Truro and Penwith College, watched the Headland Hotel’s Executive Head Chef, Chris Archambault’s butchery demonstration, before taking on the challenge themselves.

“This was great experience for our students, we always enjoy working with the team at the Chefs’ Forum and The Headland Hotel. Events like this give our students a chance to see a wider scope of the hospitality and catering industry,” said Claire Frearson, Truro and Penwith College catering lecturer. “At Level 1 Tom has covered the classic basics of professional cookery preparation, service and professional food and beverage service but butchery is not a skill that is demonstrated until Level 2 and practised until Level 3.”

Tom, from St Keverne near Helston and part of the Roskilly ice-cream family, won a day’s butchery school at Two Brothers Food and Chris Archambault, impressed with Tom’s skill, offered him a week’s internship.

“It has been a thoroughly enjoyable day, very inspirational and I have learned lots of new techniques: I now know lots more about pork butchery and utilisation of local, Cornish ingredients.” My family produce Roskilly ice-cream here in Cornwall so it’s great to meet fellow producers. I am really happy about Chris’ offer of a stage at The Headland and my day with Gavin and really look forward to working with them both”

The Chefs’ Forum and Headland Hotel have worked with Truro and Penwith College to offer their students work experience at events such as the Cornwall Tourism Awards.

“It was very helpful last year to have a few Truro and Penwith College students helping out during our ‘big hit’ calendar events, and I’m sure valuable for them to experience the action. I think the Chefs’ Forum was a great event for all involved, it was lovely to see the students get stuck in, especially when it’s a new environment,” said Chris Archambault, head executive chef of Headland Hotel.

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