THREE catering students from Nelson and Colne College have hit on a recipe for success which has earned them a place in the first heats of the country's most prestigious student catering competition.

Mark Brown, 18, Tony Whatley, 17, and Chris Emerson, 19, will compete against 31 other teams in eight heats of the Nestle Toque d'Or competition at Hotelympia 2000 - the UK's largest catering and hospitality exhibition at Earls Court in February.

The college team will prepare and serve its winning menu, which includes a new coffee drink named Velvet Piranha, to eight diners in two-and-a-half hours.

Four teams will be chosen to compete in the grand final in April 2000.

Each team will be mentored by a leading foodservice company to prepare them for the heats and the Nelson and College students will be helped along by Compass Group UK.

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