HOSPITALITY and catering students in Barry will be tasked with putting together a mock restaurant and serving a three course meal for a panel of judges in the first all Wales Hospitality Students Dining Award next month.

Among those being put to the test in the awards will be catering students from Cardiff and Vale college, Barry, where a team of six will be tasked with devising, sourcing, costing, cooking and serving a three course meal for 12 guests plus two tasting plates for the kitchen judges within a given budget.

On their given day of Thursday, May 14, they must also serve canapés, petit fours, decorate the table, provide breads and accompaniments from within their budget. A minimum of 75 per cent of the ingredients must be grown or reared in Wales.

The teams will have four hours in which to prepare their dishes for serving and to prepare the restaurant.

The teams will be judged by four highly skilled people with many years of industrial experience and teaching within the hospitality sector.

The judges will travel to each of the 10 competing centres, ensuring the students within each team are familiar with their surroundings and equipment and will be able to perform to the best of their abilities.

Dana Evan, chairperson of Institute of Hospitality Cymru, said: "This is a marvellous opportunity for hospitality students from all over Wales to showcase the excellent skills and standards they are taught at catering colleges.

"It is a marvellous starting point for their future careers and for all of Wales` tourism and hospitality industry."