After coming in at a very close second last year, a group of chefs from the Isles of Scilly swept to culinary victory in Cornish Challenge 2005. Flying the flag for the finest local produce the team from Tresco Estate wowed judges with a mouth-watering three course meal at the event at Cornwall College on Monday 7 February.

The winning combination started with locally smoked haddock, Bryher poached egg, spring greens and hollandaise sauce. For their main course the four-strong team served up succulent guinea fowl, roast shallots, creamed celeriac, truffled egg, with thyme and pine nut tart. The meal was completed with a delicious Tresco Abbey apple tarte tatin, vanilla pod and Cornish clotted cream ice cream.

Euan Rodger, team member and general manager of the Hell Bay Hotel on Bryher, was delighted to have been picked as the winner at the event which was attended by 130 guests.

He said: ?We came in at a close second last year, so we?re over the moon to have won this time around. It?s a fantastic result, and it just goes to show you can?t beat using local ingredients.

?The standards of all the teams at Cornish Challenge this year were superb. The first prize could have been anybody?s, so it feels really special to have won. The competition has been a real celebration of the high standards in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.?

Mr Rodger?s team mates were: Graham Shone, of the Hell Bay Hotel, Bryher; Peter Hingston, of the Island Hotel, Tresco; and Christian Gott, of the New Inn, Tresco.
Second prize this year went to Manning?s Restaurant in the Royal Hotel in Truro, while the St Austell Brewery scooped third place in the six-team contest.

In addition to showcasing fine food and excellent culinary skills, Cornish Challenge 2005 has been about promoting the exciting career prospects on offer in the county?s catering industry. With the number of Michelin Starred restaurants growing and more and more people visiting Cornwall for a culinary experience, there has never been a better time to think about cooking for a living.

There is also a high standard of training available in Cornwall in the kitchens of Cornwall College?s Camborne and St Austell campuses. This was demonstrated at Cornish Challenge, as 58 per cent of the teams taking part had honed their skills with the institution.

Ian Doble, a member of Cornwall Catering 2000, the business group which organises Cornish Challenge, said there were many exciting opportunities for young people entering the sector.

?This is a fabulous time to be thinking about a career in catering. Cornwall has everything a chef could want, with its diverse range of local produce and large number of quality eateries. It?s a vocation where you can feel really valued at what you do, and with a bit of experience the rewards can be brilliant,? he said.

Cornish Challenge 2005 featured a number of guest speakers who highlighted the prospects available to youngsters working in catering. Headteacher of Penair School in Truro Barbara Vann made an impassioned speech on the subject.

?The world of food in Cornwall has a very good reputation and catering is an extremely worthwhile and exciting career. I have a passionate belief in the skills and talent of Cornwall. The opportunities in this sector can give young people that chance to live in the county, raise their families in the county and contribute to the economy and their communities,? she said.

Other guest speakers were: Dr Alan Stanhope, Principal of Cornwall College; Joe Warwick, Editor of Restaurant Magazine; Adam Luck Estates Director, St Austell Brewery; and Sue Sargent, of Cornwall Taste of the West. The evening was compered by Mark Pilgrim, of the Meudon Hotel, near Falmouth.

Prizes were also handed out to catering students, who are learning about cooking and food service at Cornwall College, for their front of house service skills. The winning team consisted of Richard Taylor, of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk; Rachael Snell, of Newquay; Colin Root, of Stithians; Kieran Byrne, of Newquay; and Amy Dennis, of Camborne.

Lorna Dunstan, of Course Manager for Professional Craft Programme at Cornwall College, said: ?Congratulations to these students, who I thought all worked very, very hard. We?ve go an excellent cohort of youngsters studying at the moment. They really appreciate that food service and kitchen skills go hand in hand and understand the reasons why both aspects of the industry are important.?

Funding for this year?s event has come from Cornwall Catering 2000, Cornwall Taste of the West, the South West Regional Development Agency, and Expowest.

? Press Release

A joint venture committee, ‘Route Partnership’ is seeking funding from the Department of Transport. The Route Partnership is seeking to improve the sea link between Penzance and Scilly.

Two meetings occured last year to establish the Route Partnership’s role, by offering locals to comment on what improvements they would like to see.

The Route Partnership is a joint venture between the Isles of Scilly Council, Penwith Council, Cornwall County Council, the Duchy of Cornwall, the Steamship Company, British International. The Government Office South West is supporting the joint venture along with Route Partnership.

The IOS Council reported: “Quay improvements at both St. Mary’s and Penzance aim to separate passengers from vehicles and freight movements and a faster, more comfortable boat journey for passengers is also considered essential, together with new check-in and luggage handling facilities at each end.”

The next 12 months will be used to work out how the joint venture will work.

Further info at: http://www.thisiscornwall.com/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144143&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144131&contentPK=11792479&moduleName=InternalSearch&keyword=scilly&formname=sidebarsearch.

The Isles of Scilly Community and Hospital League of Friends have raised ?8000 for a neo-natal resuscitator for St Mary?s Hospital on the Isles of Scilly.

Kerry Youngman, Community Midwife said: ? this is a very valuable piece of equipment. Some ten babies are born on St Mary?s each year. This equipment is critical in the event of unforeseen complications during childbirth.?

Anita Bedford, Senior Sister for St Mary?s Hospital said: ?we are tremendously grateful for the continuing support from the League of Friends. This major investment in equipment follows an earlier contribution of ?5,000 for a bladder scanner last year.?

Anne Mumford is the Chair of the Isles of Scilly Community and Hospital League of Friends. She said, ?we are delighted to support health staff on the Isles of Scilly. However, we are also keen to attract further volunteers to help our fund raising efforts. We are particularly interested in attracting young people to support the work of the League of Friends. If anyone is interested in learning more about our work please contact me on 01720 422099.?

— Press release, West Of Cornwall Primary Care Trust

The Five Islands’ School, which has been on special measures for a year, is ranked 18 in the national “value added” tables, the table showing improvements in state schools.

John Evans, who has been headteacher for the last year, said the improvement is reflected in the GCSE pass percentage, where the Five Islands is ranked one of the best in the country.

Your opinions are wanted. As a part of a piece of coursework, your opinions are needed on caf?s on the Isles of Scilly.

Background: The research is for a third year business project being conducted by Irish student Niamh Gallagher. Market research is required in order to make a ‘business plan’.

Closed. Thanks for your support.