On 7 October, the UK based Chef’s Forum arranged for eight Cornwall College trainee catering students, led by Head Chef, Phill Oakes, to join members of the Newlyn fishing fleet at Cornwall’s largest fish market.

They met to share many of the skills involved in catching, landing, preparing and cooking the seasonally available, non-quota fish species which exist in substantial numbers and within close range of Cornwall’s rocky coastline. The event also included local and national fish suppliers and included a display of recently landed fish on the Newlyn quayside.

The Chefs’ Forum has been opening communication channels between commercial fishermen, education, local small producers and national catering suppliers. The forum also arranges work experience and field trips for trainee chefs to discover new ingredient resources and greater depth of knowledge.

Having finally decided upon who would be wearing the chef’s golden hat for the fastest megrem sole filleter, the students were invited onboard one of Newlyn’s largest and most modern commercial fishing boats where they were given a demonstration of the vessel’s state-of-the-art fishing hardware and fish-finding and radar software.

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