THERE are five minutes until lunch service begins and a group of hospitality students are feeling the heat.
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The clanking of pots and pans filled Federation University’s Prospects kitchen as the amateur chefs scrambled to finish their dishes before midday.
Teacher Ryan Pearce and guest Melbourne chef Riccardo Momesso challenged the group to create three seafood meals for about 60 people in three hours.
Students also had to use ingredients from a mystery box provided hours ahead of service on Tuesday morning.
Students served natural and Asian flavoured oysters, seafood linguini, mussels and seared scallops during their assessment.
Non-apprentice second year student Donna Fear used oysters in her dish.
“Coming up with the different flavours is the harder part,” she said
Mr Momesso, of Melbourne’s Valentino Restaurant, said aspiring chefs needed to be passionate to forge a career in the hospitality industry.
“The kids watch MasterChef and think ‘I can do this’,” he said.
“The reality is, this isn’t a TV show.”