Wellington's Christina Cooper is among apprentice chefs who run the Dubbo TAFE Tourism and Hospitality Horizons Training Restaurant on Tuesday evenings and she encourages everyone to try it out.
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Horizons is a fully-licensed restaurant operated by TAFE NSW Dubbo Certificate III Commercial Cookery and Certificate II, III and IV Hospitality students and offers a five-course menu for just $40 per person.
The food's prepared beyond adequately and the menu is crafted to perfection, but best of all it's cheap to the general public and opens for table bookings every Tuesday evening until December 3.
Christina's class prepared a Diabetic Menu on Tuesday and according to their Commercial Cookery teacher Damien Beard, the menu creation is taken very seriously by the apprentice chefs.
"One student each week chooses the menu and acts as head chef in control of the kitchen and his/her fellow apprentices," Mr Beard said.
"The apprentices are encouraged to create menus using our environmentally sustainable food philosophy using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients."
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Mr Beard said the restaurant is an essential component of ensuring the cookery and hospitality graduates are job-ready.
"There is no experience substitute for a full-service dining room with paying customers and real-time demands to prepare students for life in the dynamic hospitality industry," he said.
Mr Beard said the kitchen and restaurant are invaluable facilities in preparing students for the fast-paced hospitality industry.
"You notice the increase in skill, confidence and ability while the restaurant is open and many regular diners comment on the professionalism of the wait staff and calibre of the meals," he said.
Christina said she enjoys hospitality in general, but she also enjoys running the restaurant.
"It's good," she said.
"You should definitely come down and give our restaurant a try if you're in the area."