University cooks display great taste as recipes win three top prizes

Catering staff from the university have won a total of three medals – two golds and a bronze – in recent competitions.

The York team of Andrew Wood, Stuart Scott and Steve Preston served up an impressive three-course meal to beat off competition from 13 rivals to win the gold medal in the 2010 University Caterers' Organisation (TUCO) university chef of the year competition in Blackpool.

Executive chef Andrew Wood also took the gold medal in the individual challenge.

Mr Wood, who has helped the university win six gold medals in previous TUCO competitions, said: "This is very much a team event and it highlighted the talent we have on the campus."

Ian Dickson, a chef at Wentworth College, competed in the chef of the year section and came away with a bronze medal.

The event is a feature of the biennial Salon Culinaire de Londres which is part of the Hotelympia exhibition in London.

Competitors had to produce high standard rice dishes.

Mr Dickinson's bronze medal entry featured a Yorkshire favourite – fillet of Whitby cod – served with wild rice and red pepper sauce.