A DOUBLE dose of delight has been dished up at a college.

Hospitality and catering students from Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) have been shortlisted for the semi-finals of the UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year Award for 2018, while Level 3 student Sam Egerton-Kemp has been selected for the final of the Institute of Hospitality Southern Branch Student of the Year award.

Sam, 19, joined BCoT in September 2014 and in 2016 was named the Pastry Chef Student of the Year by the Institute of Hospitality Southern Branch.

The 2018 Student of the Year Awards take place at the Balmer Lawn Hotel in Hampshire on Thursday, 19 April and Sam will be hoping to collect the overall Student of the Year award from 2016 Masterchef champion, Jane Devonshire.

The evening celebrates up and coming hospitality talent currently in further/higher education or currently studying a hospitality apprenticeship.

Less than two weeks later, a team of BCoT hospitality and catering students will travel to Central Bedfordshire College on Wednesday, 2 May to take part in the semi-final of the Young Restaurant Team of the Year 2018.

With a Latin American cuisine theme, the students will hope to reach the grand final where the overall winners will win a trip to Colombia.

Anthony Bravo, BCoT principal, added: “We are extremely proud of what our students have achieved so far in these competitions and we wish them lots of luck for their next respective stages. Learning from experienced lecturers and chefs within our working restaurant allows our hospitality and catering students to acquire the technical skills and knowledge they need for a long and successful career in the industry.”

The Restaurant at BCoT is a training restaurant that provides students at BCoT the opportunity to gain first-hand experience at preparing and serving food to members of the public, alongside their studies.