Great British food puts awards on the menu for University catering team

Posted Today

Chef Geoff Clark's award-winning venison dish (all pictures reproduced with thanks to TUCO)

Great British food – including Harper Adams University’s own milk and wine from its own grapes – have helped its chefs and baristas add to an impressive awards cabinet.

Head Chef Geoff Clark was named a gold medallist in this spring’s TUCO Love British Food Challenge – while University Barista Cam Reynolds took home a bronze medal for her work in the TUCO Barista Skills Challenge – making her drinks with milk from the University’s very own Future Farm.

Cam had to prepare four espressos, four lattes, and four speciality drinks in her entry – wearing a microphone and talking the judges through her choices as she worked,

She said: “My speciality drink was an oat latte with a dash of cinnamon, topped with pistachio cream, and matcha salt.

“The matching colour profile of the pistachio and matcha worked well together, as well as the complimenting flavours. Matcha is naturally earthy; to add in the salt element cut through the creamy flavours of the oat and pistachio, and the cinnamon added a back note of warmth.”

Preparing for the competition, collected fresh milk from the dairy on the Harper Adams Future Farm, before working with Senior Lecturer in Food Safety Culture and Operations Lucy Catley to pasteurise it in the University’s Food Academy before adding it to her lattes for extra creaminess.

She added: “Being awarded a bronze medal in a group of 15 competitors, many of whom had previously competed, made me feel very proud and confident in my knowledge.

“As soon as I finished, I just wanted to go back and do it all again with everything I had learnt from my first attempt – and I’m striving for gold next year!”

Meanwhile, Geoff’s entry saw competitors challenged to make a meal out of a venison steak.

He said: “You had to find a suitable garnish, using all British ingredients and then had sixty minutes to produce a meal that complemented the venison.

“Choosing the ingredients was very difficult as British cookery culture now is very fusion based. My dish consisted of a smoked nenison steak, braised pearl barley, parsnip puree, cabbage & bacon, pickled beetroot, celeriac and penny bun mushrooms finished with a Harper Rosé juniper jus and watercress. 

“It was great to win – and I loved taking part in the competition. There were some good contestants, and I met some great chefs as well – so when they announced first bronze, and then silver, and then gold – with me getting gold – I just went ‘yes!’

"It was a win for my chefs as well, as they were instrumental in the creation and critique of the dish in its earlier stages. - so a big thanks to the team."

Harper Adams University Head of Catering and Retail  David Nuttall said: “I’m immensely proud of the team for their outstanding achievements. Being recognised with medals alongside others in our sector is a testament to their dedication and hard work.

The entire catering department is delighted with the results and eager to compete again.”

The team is also celebrating being shortlisted in Sustainability category at the U:Dine University Catering Awards - and the Green Impact category at the Colleges and Universities Business Officers (CUBO) Awards.

The announcements follow the University’s success in the Campus Health, Food and Drink category at the UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards and in the Sustainability category at the national TUCO awards in 2025.

David added: “The team continues to go from strength to strength – with these new announcements following hot on the heels of Geoff and Cam’s wins!

“We’ve always put good food at the heart of what we do – but a renewed focus on using the very best produce from our own farm and campus, as well as initiatives to cut food waste such as the Harper Community Fridge, certainly seem to be capturing attention.”