The City of Glasgow College, South Eastern Regional College in Northern Ireland and the London School of Hospitality & Tourism at the University of West London are in the running to prepare the canapés for the glittering event at St James’s Palace on April 21st.

Selected from over 30 paper entries, the three teams of five students will now be invited to a cook-off to produce their canapés at the kitchens at Buckingham Palace, where they will be tasted by the Guild’s Royal Patron, HRH the Countess of Wessex and a winner selected.

Led by their lecturer, the winning team will then go to St James’s Palace on the day of the party to assist the royal chef, Mark Flanagan, in preparing their canapés for the evening.

Christopher Basten, national chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs, said this was such an exciting opportunity for the students. “This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and even if they don’t win, the teams are going to have such an extraordinary experience preparing their canapés in the Buckingham Palace kitchens and meeting the Countess of Wessex.

“We wish them all the best of luck and look forward to tasting their mini masterpieces.”

The competition invited colleges to submit six canapé recipes to be served at the 50th party.

Led by Gary Maclean, the City of Glasgow College’s canapés are based around glazert goats cheese, braised Puddledub pork cheek, dashi cured Scottish salmon, homemade black pudding, chicken confit and avocado and rhubarb custard and crumble.

Led by Michael Gillies, South Eastern Regional College’s canapés feature hay smoked and confit lisarra chicken, St Tola goats cheese, Finnebgrogue venison scotch eggs, smoked salmon, rhubarb and Clandeboye estate yoghurt and Valrhona chocolate orange mousse.

Led by Peter Cross, the London School of Hospitality & Tourism’s canapés focus on confit chicken wing filled with foie gras mousse, smoked and cured venison, goats cheese, tandoori king prawn, blackberry, sloe gin and lemon cheesecake and dark chocolate mousse.

The anniversary party is one of the highlights of this year’s 50th celebrations, marking a momentous milestone for the Guild as the largest chefs’ association in the UK, staunch supporter of education and the advancement of culinary art and science across all sectors.”