Five Rivers dish out industry tips on Indian fine dining

Walsall College Cookery students gave their plate the gourmet treatment, when Walsall’s Five Rivers a La Carte visited the college to deliver two masterclasses on fine Indian dining.

The first masterclass, which was aimed at Level 2 Cookery students, was delivered by Five Rivers’ Chef Specialist Shiva Mahat, who has seven years of restaurant experience.

Shiva showed students how to make a series of popular dishes served at the fine dining North Indian restaurant.

Students were given a demonstration on how to prepare onion bhajhees, plain naan bread and Methi chicken curry, a North Indian dish that’s seasoned using Fenugreek leaves along with other Indian spices.

The budding chefs were then tasked to prepare the dishes themselves, which Shiva tasted and reviewed.

The masterclass was followed by another aimed at Level 3 Professional Chef students. Shiva showed students how to prepare a Duck Curry and a Goan Fish Curry, which was described as a “stand-out dish” by the Birmingham Mail.

Five Rivers opened in Walsall in 2012 by a group of award-winning caterers, and in its first year won the West Midlands ‘Best Newcomer’ category at the national finals of the British Curry Awards.

Shiva Mahat, Chef Specialist at Five Rivers, said: “We were very impressed with the high standard of the dishes that the students created. The students have shown themselves to be enthusiastic, talented and very willing to learn. Some of the dishes served at during the masterclass would not be out of place if they were served at Five Rivers.”

Five Rivers currently offer in-house training to Walsall College’s Level 1 Hospitality students, who are trained in delivering silver service to its customers.

Walsall College’s Level 3 Cookery students have the opportunity to undertake work placements with the restaurant. Five Rivers also offer training to Walsall College’s staff members, so they can keep up-to-date with industry developments.

Curriculum Manager for Hospitality and Catering at Walsall College, David Higgins, said: “This was a great opportunity for students to test their catering skills against industry standards and receive advice from professionals currently working in the sector.

“Many students are now going out on work experience placements as part of their course, so sessions like these are very valuable in helping them to develop their skills and prepare for real working environments.”

Walsall College offer a number of Hospitality and Catering courses, from Professional Cookery to Hospitality and Events. To find out more, take a look at our V6 Couse Guide, which can be picked up from either of the college’s campuses or downloaded online.

For more information about enrolling on a course at Walsall College, please call 01922 657000.

If you’re interested in running a masterclass with us, please contact Walsall College on businesstrainingsolutions@walsallcollege.co.uk