Fine dining masterclass from Maribel head chef

Stone bass was on the menu at a Walsall College hospitality masterclass hosted by the head chef at Birmingham’s Maribel Restaurant.  Harvey Perttola tasked the student chefs with preparing the fish and a langoustine bisque before they presented their dishes for feedback.

“This is the kind of dish that encourages students to think about food consistency, taste and time management,” said Harvey, whose career as a chef began when he was just 14.

“The students did a great job demonstrating what they could do.”

Harvey’s career started at Birmingham’s Opus Restaurant.  He has also worked at Hampton Manor where he was part of the team who cooked for Michelin when they were awarded their star. His career continued to Swinfen Hall and saw him become a finalist and runner up in the 2017 Chef Stagiaire, as well as a finalist in the 2018 British Culinary Federation Young Chef of the Year.

He was also recently a finalist for the Young Achiever Award in the Birmingham Awards 2019.

“My goal was to become a head chef by the time I was 30.  To have achieved this at 24 is testament to a lot of hard work,” Harvey added.  “I’m pleased to have shared my experiences with the students here.

“I would encourage anyone interested in becoming a successful chef to have clear goals they can focus on and to develop a professional work attitude.”