A FORMER Master Chef finalists is helping college students prepare a six course tasting menu to tempt diners out to eat.

Cookery students at Darlington College are putting on the event at its Glasshouses Restaurant on November 11, as part of a programme of evening events to complement the relaunch of its lunch service.

Master Chef finalist David Garlinge, is helping students with the menu – which costs just £22 – which includes beetroot panna cotta, with walnuts and beetroot, a theatrical hay baked lamb that will arrive in a covering of smoke, steamed pollock with fermented mouli and seaweed powder, ginger and soy broth, BBQ beef with enoki mushrooms, pomme puree and cardamon glaze, lemon posset with lemon foam, eucalyptus powder, and chocolate tort, black olive caramel, olive oil jelly and buttermilk sorbet.

The South Shields chef, who has since worked with Gordon Ramsay, said: "We want our students to be the very best they can be and ready for industry. As a result this course is tough, requiring the highest standards.

“The tasting menu will be a three day process of preparation and cooking that will also identify team-players and leaders among the students. I will appoint a head chef for the evening and they will get a taste of the pressures they will experience in the world of work.

“For customers it is going to be a very high quality experience of restaurant standard food, one they will remember for a long time to come. At the same time they will be helping our students improve, so the more people who visit us the better the training and the higher the calibre our chefs will be when they come out of college.”

The Glasshouse Restaurant’s new manager Lesley Cain-Metcalf added: “Our regulars will be delighted to hear that we are open again for lunch as well as evening events.

“I trained at Darlington College many years ago and have lived and worked all over the world as well as run my own business. I was really excited to come back to help train the next generation of chefs and front of house staff in careers that can lead to some incredible experiences around the globe."

Anyone interested in the fine dining experience, from 6pm to 7.30pm, or wanting to book a table for lunch, should ring (01325) 503030.