Alumni Lee heads street food "take-over" at McIntyre House

Alumni Lee Desanges returned to UCB with some leading chefs to give a masterclass in street food – from a truck parked at McIntyre House.

Lee, who studied professional cookery at the College of Food, is a star of the UK street food scene and was invited to take part in the event alongside Luke Tipping, chef director of Simpsons, Birmingham, and Simon Hulstone, chef proprietor of The Elephant, Torquay.

The trio swapped their kitchens for a food truck parked in the courtyard of the University’s higher education and postgraduate centre in the Jewellery Quarter.

Spice and seasoning specialist Santa Maria asked the chefs to conjure up some tasty dishes using its products and invited Birmingham food professionals to sample the innovative creations.

Birmingham-based Lee, who was named Best of the Best at the British Street Food Awards 2016 and trades as Baked in Brick, cooked up  chicken wings in hot sauce with tellicherry black pepper, which is produced in Kerala, India.

Luke served savoury “bon bons” of pigs head with apple, cassia, oregano and tellicherry while Simon served a delicious salted caramel with cassia and a rich chocolate torte with tellicherry.

Visitors were given an informal introduction to the Santa Maria range – and plenty of scrumptious tastings of the chefs’ cooking.