Polytechnic students impress MasterChef contestants

There was plenty of excitement across both Bay of Plenty Polytechnic campuses this week as MasterChef NZ top four contestants, Kerena and Kasey Te Awa-Bird along with Tanisha Kemp and Verena Doolabh, hung up their aprons in exchange for judges’ hats as student and staff teams battled it out over the hot grill in BOPPOLY MasterChef.

With just 30mins and a BBQ to cook on, teams had access to an array of ingredients and cooking utensils from the Polytechnic ‘pantry’ to complement their mystery box ingredients.  At the CBD Bongard campus four teams were presented with a pork fillet, while the six Windermere teams battled for BBQ space to cook chicken thighs.

Both Kasey and Tanisha are graduates of the Polytechnic (Kasey was BOPPOLY MasterChef in 2012) but that didn’t stop them both from being impressed with the calibre of the cooking.

“All the contestants were so calm and creative given the ingredients they were given,” said Tanisha.

“We know what it is like cooking under pressure, and within a short time frame, so Kasey and I were both really impressed with what they came up with using the equipment they had and having to share the cooking space” said Kerena. “It was really great seeing everyone getting stuck in and giving it a go.”

“It made a nice change being on the other side of the judging table for us,” exclaimed Verena. “Simon, Ray and Josh have a great job! It was fantastic to see students putting themselves out there; we all know it is not easy cooking under the pressure with all eyes on you.”

With five hospitality teams in the Windermere event, including chef Aiden Galloway, competition was tight and creativity was evident with dishes such as poached and stuffed chicken. “We definitely felt a lot of pressure being on the other side of the judging panel today – I’m sure many of these students would know a lot more than we do,” laughed Kasey.   

In a surprising twist Marine Science students Cameron and Ryan won the Windermere competition with their coconut crusted chicken and prawn skewers served on couscous with a salsa and yoghurt dressing. 

Business students Natalie and Ranui took out the Bongard competition with a creamy bacon and mushroom crepe carefully cooked on the BBQ and presented with a salad and barbequed pork fillet. 

Judges openly shared their experiences from the television show throughout the competition, joked with students and offered advice on cooking techniques. 

“We have really enjoyed being on the show it is definitely very full on but we have learnt so much and the whole experience has been awesome for us,” said Kerena. “It really confirmed that food is a huge passion for us both and it is what we want to do.”
“Being on Masterchef NZ has been a once in a lifetime experience for us,” enthused Verena. “We are grateful for the experiences we have had, people we have met and opportunities it has given us.”