Cooking up success: CCC Graduate enjoys truffle triumph in Rome 

From college kitchens to the culinary heart of Rome, Capital City College graduate Emma Sprake has had a whirlwind few months after winning the prestigious La Rustichella Truffle Masterchef competition – an incredible achievement on its own, made even more impressive as it was her very first cooking competition! 

Emma, who completed the Advanced Professional Cookery (Kitchen & Larder) Level 3 Diploma at Capital City College, wowed the judges with her creativity, precision, and ability to bring luxury ingredients to life. 

The competition challenged the third-year students to create a pair of dishes – either a canapé and a main course, or a petit four and a dessert – featuring ingredients from La Rustichella’s extensive portfolio of premium quality truffle products, in order to be crowned Truffle Masterchef. 

Emma’s creations of choice were Wild Mushroom Tartlet as a canapé and Halibut with Truffle Potato Scales, Seasonal Mushrooms, Truffle Mash and Truffle Beurre Blanc as a main course, which she practiced making ahead of the final. 

A luxury culinary ingredient, truffle is an edible mushroom with a rich, earthy flavour, often seen on menus at high-end restaurants. “Prior to Truffle Masterchef I’d not had much exposure to working with truffles”, said Emma, “Only limited cooking with truffle oil and truffle pate. However, because the college is able to share the whole range of La Rustichella products with its students, I’m now much more familiar with the fabulous results that can be achieved across a range of sweet and savoury dishes.”

The final took place at the college, with students cooking in front of a panel of esteemed judges, including professional chef Steve Walpole, editor of Chef & Restaurant magazine Claire Bosi, Floriana Canadè respresenting the Italian embassay and the owner of La Rustichella, Rita Brugnoli.

“The most nerve-wracking element of the competition was making sure that the dishes were completed within the allocated timeframe,” Emma said, “but on the big day, I managed to stick to my schedule and finish both my canapé and main course on time.”

As winner of the first prize, Emma enjoyed a visit to Rome and from the moment she arrived, Emma was immersed in the sights, smells, and flavours of Italian gastronomy. A tour of La Rustichella’s spotless factory offered a behind-the-scenes look at how their renowned truffle products are crafted, before she joined the team at  La Rustichella’s restaurant, Love Truffles. 

“It’s a small team but that didn’t detract from the smooth running of the restaurant and I was impressed by the happy and calm environment” said Emma. “I did some prep for service and as it was my first day, I spent a lot of time watching the chefs and learning how to create some amazing dishes and of course, how to ensure the very best results cooking with truffles.” 

The following days were spent mastering mouth-watering Italian classics, assisting in the restaurant, and learning new techniques, including how to make the restaurant’s famous exploding passion fruit dessert and hand-crafted tortellini and focaccia. 

“The whole experience at Love Truffles was brilliant. It afforded me an opportunity to learn new techniques and to better understand the nuances associated with pairing truffle with key food,” Emma said. “I got to see whole truffles which was a real treat and had access to an extensive choice of high-quality truffle-based ingredients.” 

For Emma, the trip wasn’t just a professional milestone – it was a cultural eye-opener that’s broadened her culinary ambitions for the future. “I loved the fact that the restaurant is next door to the factory that produces these wonderfully clean products, which contain no harsh additives. Having witnessed the production process and cooked in an exclusive professional ‘truffle’ kitchen, I anticipate being more creative in my use of La Rustichella’s superb portfolio of truffle-inspired ingredients”, said Emma.

“I was also able to observe a completely different culture to at home – and had to get my head around the fact that they eat so much later in Italy! Overall, this was an amazing trip. It has even whetted my appetite for a potential job cheffing in Italy. Watch this space!” 

Emma’s story of phenomenal success (or should that be fungi-nomenal success?) is a testament to the heights of success and achievement that comes from combining passion, preparation and dedication, and is an inspiration to any junior or aspiring chefs. 

Inspired by Emma’s success? Our hospitality and culinary courses will give you the skills, confidence, and industry opportunities to shine on the world stage. From mastering luxury ingredients to competing in prestigious events, our courses are your passport to flavour, finesse, and an exciting future. 

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