Decades before the Great British Bake Off bubbled into public consciousness, Le Cordon Bleu cookery school was a foodie legend. Established in Paris in 1895 it soon became the place to go for a thorough education in the culinary arts and its alumni grace kitchens and tv screens worldwide. GBBO’s Mary Berry studied there as did modern favourite Yotam Ottolenghi and US pioneer Julia Childs. But this kind of pedigree doesn’t come cheap. A full time 12 month course costs £10,000s. Way beyond most aspirants’ reach. That’s where scholarship day comes in.
Once a year at the Bloomsbury HQ of Le Cordon Bleu London, 10 young chefs cook off head to head for the chance to study for free. Last month I was invited to watch the competition unfold.
This is my account of the day’s trials and tribulations for BBC radio 4 and the World Service
