Former student gains Award of Excellence

Former UCB chef student, Ben Ternent, has achieved an Award of Excellence in a national recognition competition run by the Academy of Culinary Arts.

Ben left the college three years ago and now works as a Chef de Partie at Opus Restaurant in Birmingham city centre. He was one of only five chefs to achieve an award this year out of total of 14 who were shortlisted to attend the London final.

The purpose of the Awards scheme is to inspire and encourage young people to achieve the highest possible standards in their profession. At the London final, Michelin star chef, Heston Blumenthal judged that Ben's wood pigeon dish was faultlessly cooked and the best executed which is a fantastic endorsement for a rising young chef.

David Colcombe, Chef Director, Opus Restaurant said "I am delighted to see Ben's skills has been rewarded in this way. He came to us straight from the College of Food and he is a truly home grown talent. Birmingham born and bred, educated and trained. The Academy of Culinary Arts is Britain’s leading professional culinary association and their exacting standards are exceptionally hard to achieve. We believe that young people coming into the trade must be encouraged to master the classical techniques in order to deliver quality. Ben is our third young person to achieve an Award of Excellence so all credit to him for being an inspiration to those following in his footsteps."

See the menus Ben helps to prepare at www.opusrestaurant.co.uk.