The function was organised by the Diploma of Tourism Events students who were responsible for the layout and printing of the invitations and everything involved in the planning of the dinner, the seating etc.

The guests dined on cumin spiced green gazpacho, oysters steamed with mirin, ginger and soy, Eden smokehouse salmon served with a goats cheese and leek frittata, chilli wine and lime sorbet, lamb fillet on crushed potato with olive, tomato and basil, braised rabbit pie on wilted spinach and apple and hazelnut frangipane tart with lavender ice cream.

This was cooked by students from Certificate III Commercial Cooking and served by Certificate III and IV Food and Beverage students.

The food was matched skillfully with the appropriate McWilliams’ wines from Paul Richardson.

The head teacher TAFE campus Tourism and Hospitality, Deirdre Jory, told the employees that the Government was bringing in mandatory food handling training on January 1 and that TAFE would be offering this training on site.

Ms Jory reminded the industry of the shortage of food and beverage staff and told them that although Responsible Serving of Alcohol (RSA) training was mandatory for those they employed it didn’t give their staff the qualifications or the customer service techniques they would have if they had done the food and beverages’ certificates.

She said that their employees would not have to attend TAFE for regular classes, as on-the-job training was offered and their workers could be upskilled.

Ms Jory thanked the employers for the support of their students, and Robert Hayson of Fletcher’s Fotographics for his wonderful publicity photos.