A group of Level 3 Cookery Students from Palmerston North were put through their paces last month, learning the art of how to cook ‘healthier’ deep fried chips. For the second year running the Chip Group hosted a training workshop at the University College of Learning (UCOL) in Palmerston North. With a total of 17 engaged students in attendance, it was an impressive turnout considering it was a voluntary class. 
Those who attended were rewarded with a ‘cook and taste’ session at the end of the training. We were kindly donated samples of both 13mm and 16mm chips by Talleys Limited, to allow the students to put their new-found knowledge into practice. Students thoroughly enjoyed tasting and eating the chips, but also getting hands-on experience with temperature variation, cooking time and basket drainage. There was plenty of interesting discussion around the techniques of how to reduce fat, while still producing tasty chips.
We are thrilled to see that recently; an increasing number of Tertiary Institutions like UCOL are now interested in including Chip Group training as part of their course work. It is inevitable that the type of students studying cookery or similar courses will one day end up in kitchens with deep fryers. By gaining a base knowledge about frying early in their career the hope is that this strong foundation will ensure a flow-on effect for those whom they will work with in the future.
Having a practical element ensures that attendees get hands-on experience about how to cook the chips according to The Chip Groups’ Industry Standards. It also allows for greater discussion around frying techniques. It was great to see such a diverse spread of ages and ethnicities within the class – there was certainly a sense of fun in the air when they realised they were able to both cook and eat hot chips.
Each student is given an official Chip Group training certificate and a small gold badge to acknowledge their efforts – with the intention of being able to include these as part of their CV. The Chip Group are thoroughly enjoying having the opportunity to support various Tertiary Training Institutes throughout the country as it allows us a whole new outlet for people to share our Chip Group messaging with. We look forward to working with many more cookery and chef students throughout the country.
Kate Underwood
Training and Education Manager
The Chip Group.