Italian chef Giancarlo Caldesi shares his secrets with Redbridge College students

A celebrity chef praised the passion of the students he worked alongside to deliver a sell-out lunch at Redbridge College.

Giancarlo Caldesi, who runs his own cookery school and has featured in a BBC documentary, spent the day at the college’s onsite training restaurant, Rouge, in Barley Lane, Little Heath, last week.

The restaurant was fully booked for the event and the chef made time to come to talk to the customers and even tease those who hadn’t eaten everything on their plate.

Ryan Easton, one of the lucky students on the professional cookery course to benefit from his expertise, said: “I was very excited to be cooking alongside him and he’s a very nice man.

“He gave me useful tips on how to do the ravioli in a different yet much better and simpler way.”

The chef said: “I have to say it’s been absolutely magical, exhilarating and fantastic.

“The students have been really good, and I had a brilliant time in the kitchen.

“They have got a real passion and are keen on learning new things and I think experience is important for them.”