Success at Taste of Summer Masterclass
The Taste of Summer Masterclass at Glasgow City College proved a great success, as Gary took to the stage in the Main Lecture Theatre of the College on Thursday July 27th.
The ticket-only event attracted a diverse audience of 80. With food lovers and avid chefs alike, as well as those completely new to cooking. The seats were all filled as they observed the Master Chef Champion showcase his talents. His focus for the evening was to use ingredients that were easily and readily available. Above all, this was to encourage the audience to go home and attempt the recipes themselves. Another focus was to highlight the ease of preparing meals at home that are healthy as well as achievable.
“Hosting this event was great fun and a great honour, and it was exciting to use the fantastic demonstration kitchen in our lecture theatre. The dishes I chose to cook are ones which people can easily do at home, with ingredients that are readily available.”
Gary prepared and cooked fresh homemade pasta, Chicken Pasanda and Apple Tart Tartin. He highlighted the varying techniques and processes involved in making all three dishes. The audience also had the opportunity to participate to which they responded wholeheartedly, resulting in an evening of fun and enjoyment for all.
Audience Response
Norma Walker, mother of one of Gary’s promising student chefs was amongst many in the audience who jumped at the chance to experience his cooking skills live. Furthermore, they also had the chance of meeting Gary and take pictures.
“It was a very informative evening and I loved hearing Gary’s stories and learning from him. I’d recommend the event to anyone, even people who aren’t into cooking. It was great to see a MasterChef winner cooking live instead of on the TV. He is very passionate about the college, especially his students; three helped him at the event. My daughter’s confidence has grown since being at the college and she’s been given incredible opportunities.”
Audience member and keen cook Frank McKenzie said
“I did an evening class where Gary was the lecturer and really enjoyed it. We also watched him on MasterChef so were very excited about attending this Masterclass which I’d recommend as it showed you can make lovely, healthy homemade meals in a short time from scratch. We liked that he demonstrated techniques. Anyone can follow a recipe; it’s mastering the technique that counts.”
Looking to the Future
In conclusion Gary was overjoyed with the response to the event at the college, adding; “After tonight’s success, and judging by the numbers who attended and their enthusiasm, I would hope to host similar events in the future.”