The competition, which focuses on all the hospitality and catering skills from students’ knowledge of produce, to designing and costing menus, and exceptional front of house service, saw teams from Cambridge Regional College, City College Norwich, Colchester Institute and West Suffolk College reach the final following heats that included more than 90 students.

Each team was made up of two chefs and one front of house member, and, prior to the final, they received a day’s mentoring. These mentors included: Eric Snaith, head chef of Tichwell Manor, mentoring the City College Norwich students; Ian Rhodes, general manager and executive chef of Le Talbooth Restaurant (Colchester Institute); Stuart Ascott, chef at The Leaping Hare (West Suffolk College); and James Circuit, executive head chef of Corpus Christi College (Cambridge Regional College).

The winning dishes from the Cambridge team comprising Alice Kingham, Jo Start and Kieren Hurry were: confit salmon with crispy skin and pickled vegetables, buckthorn leaves and a citrus dressing; pigeon breast with braised leg croquette, potato terrine, spinach, glazed carrots, pig’s ear granola and a berry jus; and a dessert of ‘millionaire’s shortbread, shortbread crumble with salted caramel, chocolate ganache, brown butter ice-cream and a mixed berry compote.

These impressed the judges – Shara Ross, director and general manager of Hotel Felix; Paul Boorman, executive chef at Wivenhoe House; Paul Foster, head chef of Mallory Court; Nick Mills, managing director of Brasted’s; and Mark Poynton, chef patron of Restaurant Alimentum.

Kingham from the winning team said: “I was really pleased with how our salmon course came out. My favourite part of the day was meeting everybody and finding out what they do; I’ve also learned to be more confident in myself.”

Co-ordinator of ‘A Passion to Inspire’, Murray Chapman, commented: “Ninety-five students have been involved with this year’s competition which is a massive number. This competition is all about bringing together those in the industry, chefs and suppliers, with college lecturers and their students in order to inspire the next generation of hospitality and catering professionals.

“A big thanks to Mark Bradly and all at City College Norwich for their hospitality in hosting the final and helping to make it such a great day.”

The winning trio were presented with a commemorative Steelite plate and places to attend the prestigious Skills for Chefs annual conference. All the finalists received membership of the Craft Guild of Chefs, Steelite plates, a tasting menu at Michelin-starred Restaurant Alimentum and catering equipment and jackets from Russums.

‘A Passion to Inspire’ 2014 was supported by Skills for Chefs, Craft Guild of Chefs, Steelite Plates, Loch Duart, Anglian Free Range Eggs, Direct Meats, CK Meats, Anglia Produce, Gourmet Classic, Dingley Dell Pork, Callebaut Chocolate, Freedom Food and Russums.