SERC Chef Team Makes the Most of Comber Earlies at Festival

South Eastern Regional College (SERC) chefs (both students and staff), wowed visitors with their skills with spuds when they took part in the Comber Earlies Festival on Saturday (24 June).  The SERC Bangor Campus kitchen produced a special chocolate cake, featuring mashed Comber potatoes as a surprise ingredient, which was cut by North Down and Ards Mayor, Councillor Jennifer Gilmour.  

The Comber Earlies Festival, which this year marked its tenth anniversary, celebrates the harvest of these young potatoes which hold the distinction of a European Protected Geographical Indication status.   

The SERC team also shared tips on using Comber Earlies in a breakfast hash, inviting the public to have a go at making their own, and handed out samples of dishes such as potato chowder and potato curry. They also took to the stage for cookery demonstrations, on a programme which showcased chefs Paula McIntyre, Poppy O’Toole and Lotte Duncan.  

The team had previously been busy preparing afternoon tea boxes, which sold out before the event.  

Paul Mercer, SERC Deputy Head of School for Hospitality, Management and Catering at SERC, reflected on the success of the festival, saying, “It was great to see such a fantastic turnout and of course to hear the compliments about the food we had on offer! Events like these are a major part of SERC activity, engaging with the community and exploring the potential of delicious local produce. It’s an important way of putting students’ skills into practice; not only devising dishes and planning menus but cooking and serving in a public arena and dealing with customers face-to-face. Our students did us proud, whether behind the scenes before the event or in the SERC marquee on the day.” 

In the picture:  Jack Regan from Bangor, Level 3 Patisserie and Confectionery student at SERC, with hospitality tutors Paul Mercer and Thomas McCluney, ready to hand out slices of the chocolate and potato cake at the Comber Earlies Festival.