Leiths Diploma Students Celebrate Awards At Terroirs

Leiths Diploma graduation ceremony was held with elation and relief after three terms of intensive training in the Leiths kitchens for the 96 students completing the Leiths Diploma in Food and Wine.

Each year, the exceptional two and three term Diploma students are carefully selected for the top Diploma prizes, with previous winners including Gizzi Erskine and Lulu Grimes. Sponsored by Laurent-Perrier, Maison Louis Latour, BBC Good Food Magazine, and ASDA, the awards recognise outstanding performances by students, both on overall merit, and in their final practical and theory exams.

The celebrations continued the next week at Terrriors restaurant run by Leiths graduate Sandy Jarvis,  with lunch for the winners hosted by the Leiths Directors and sponsors, with further guests including Leiths alumni and journalists.

Magnums of Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne were served before guests sat down to enjoy a menu personally created and cooked by Chef Patron of Terrrioirs Sandy Jarvis.

Guests were treated to a tasting menu of Cervelle de Canut; Dorset crab; Endive terrine; Rillettes; Carne salata; Scottish langoustines; Tuscan raw chopped steak; Roast shoulder of lamb; Whole roast wild seabass and gnocchi; Clams and samphire and concluded with a pudding of Gariguette strawberry eton mess .  Acompanied by Pouilly-Fuisse and Beaune Premier Cru Vignes Franches wine from Leiths Awards sponsors Louis Latour, the lunch was a truly special occasion for all.

The top prize, the 2012 Laurent-Perrier Student of the Year, presented by Steve Brandwood, Sales Director of Laurent-Perrier UK, went to Katherine Mead, after she was voted best overall student by the Leiths teachers. Katherine has won an all-expenses paid trip for two to the private Laurent-Perrier cellars in Tours-sur-Marne, with an overnight stay in the culinary city of Reims. Furthermore Katherine was the runner up of the BBC Good Food internship.

Kathryn Gihooly won, not only the Louis Latour Award for Wine Student of the Year, but also the BBC Good Food Award.  Kathryn won the Louis Latour Award by achieving the highest score in the WSET intermediate level wine exam at the school, earning a trip for two to Beaune; she will be taken on a two day tour of the prestigious vineyards and cellars at Maison Louis Latour. 

Kathryn will then be joining the editorial team at BBC Good Food Magazine for a 6 month internship, having been selected by the editor, Gillian Carter for the role. Her fellow student, Stephanie Dellner, will then replace Kathryn at BBC Good Food for the second part of the year and benefit from this unique internship.  This highly coveted placement is an incredible opportunity for two Diploma graduates to gain an insight into the world of food journalism in Britain's best-selling food magazine.

Leiths partnership with Asda continues to blossom with Asda introducing a six month internship for a Leiths graduate at Asda HQ; there they will have the opportunity to work within the Asda food innovations team, working alongside March Rimond, Asda's innovations development chef. The winner this year is Amanda Parker, who is looking forward to taking up the role in September.

"All of these prizes are unique to Leiths and show the breadth of learning the students gain by training here" comments Camilla Schneideman, Managing Director of Leiths School of Food and Wine. "We want our students to know about all aspects of the food and wine industry; from working or running a restaurant, and knowing what wine should be paired with what food, to setting up a small catering business or developing dishes for large scale production"

"We are lucky enough to be joined at the lunch by Alumni who show this breadth of learning; from cookery book authors including Jane Hornby, Signe Johansen and Georgina Fuggle to food journalists such as  Anne Shooter and Katriona Macgregor; as well as caterer, Nico Rilla and product developer, Nick Whilloughby Managing director of the successful Creme de la Crepe cafe.