Crawford, Signavong, Garratt awarded scholarships at Nowra Celebrity Chef dinner

Staged at Destiny's Restaurant at the Bomaderry campus, the degustation dinner, also included the awarding of three annual workplacement scholarships.

The annual dinner exposes the second-year apprentices chefs to the pressure of a high-end kitchen and the heat was certainly on in the kitchens as students, teachers and hatted Newcastle chef Chris Thornton prepared more than 1000 dishes for the dinner.

The commercial cookery, hospitality and events students spent Monday and Tuesday with Thornton, creating a dining experience to highlight their skills as well as the flavour of local produce.

And the young chefs didn't disappoint presenting a superb evening of fine dining from the canapes throughout the six courses.

The evening, hosted by Indigenous celebrity chef, Mark Olive, also saw the awarding of the first Ian Strathie Memorial Scholarship.

Mr Strathie, a long-time supporter of the TAFE and the celebrity chef dinner through his business Wray Own Funerals, passed away earlier this year but his family has continued to back the event which showcases young local chefs, hospitality staff and events students.

The winner of the inaugural award was a graduate from last year's commercial cookery class, Nick Crawford.

Currently a chef at the Butterfactory Restaurant at Pyree, part of the scholarship will see him spend a week in a celebrity chef's kitchen.

"I'm extremely proud to win this award," he said.

"Mr Strathie was a regular at our restaurant and would always come in after a meal and greet us with a 'Thanks chef'.

"It's an honour to win this award."

He was chosen for the scholarship by one of last year's Celebrity Chefs, Warren Turnbull.

Diploma of Events graduate Shanonh Signavong received the NowChem Scholarship for work placement at the International Convention Centre or Doltone House, while Certificate III Hospitality graduate Bianca Garratt was awarded the Silos Winery Estate Scholarship to gain industry experience at Silos Estate Winery.

Celebrity chef Chris Thornton praised the students for an outstanding job.

"They have all worked extremely hard over the past two days and I hope you have all enjoyed their work," he said.

"I've enjoyed being part of the event and giving back. I hope the students have got lots out of it as well."

Guests were treated to a superb meal - canapes consisted of tartare of kingfish on salt and vinegar chip, grilled oyster in sherry vinegar and brown butter and beignet of chicken liver parfait and caramelised onion; followed by courgette and chickpea miso tart and cultured cream; steamed whiting, spinach, crab, finger lime, butter sauce; barbecue prawns, asparagus, XO sauce, green onion oil; roast duck, beetroot, red leaves, roasted blueberry sauce; smoked and slow cooked pork neck, spiced pineapple, roasted red pepper; and for dessert a malt tart, caramelised milk ice cream, fuellintine.

All with accompanying wines from local vineyards Silos Estate, Coolangatta Estates and Cupitts Winery as well as Robert Oatley Wines.