“Nothing great has ever been accomplished without passion”, once said a German poet — and the same proves true about a great meal.

Local chefs will be putting their skills and passion on display at the second annual Plates of Passion Fundraising Dinner on April 3.

Ten of the Island’s top executive chefs will be teaming up with culinary students from the Bermuda College for this unique dining experience.

The chef/student teams will be challenged to use ingredients, like cassava, local carrots, onions and bananas, as well as a meat or fish item, to create their own specialised meal.

Students recently pulled names to determine who their chef mentor would be — and The Royal Gazette was invited to get in on the action.

Chef Sara Masters, from Flying Chef, will be cooking alongside 30-year-old culinary student Phillip Thomas. She said she was excited to take part in this year’s event and pass on her knowledge to an up and coming chef.

Another incentive for her is knowing that part proceeds from Plates of Passion will go towards scholarships for the Bermuda College’s culinary arts programme.

“It’s important for me to give back because I’m Bermudian and these are all young, Bermudian chefs,” Ms Masters said.

“It’s also exciting to see young people eager to get into the field and to be paired with another Bermudian who wants to work and learn is great, because I love to teach.”

Mr Thomas, 30, said he was most looking forward to pushing himself to get better at his craft.

“I love a challenge and cooking is what I have always wanted to do,” he said. “For a long time I didn’t really put my foot forward to take the courses, but now I’m ready to show what I can do.”

As a youngster, he said he was always watching his grandmother and parents in the kitchen. These days he is busy making his own masterpieces and admitted his strengths were with grilling and sautéing meats and vegetables.

Veteran chef Herbie Bascome, from the Fairmont Southampton, will serve as mentor to Shiloh Todd and Xine Peets.

When Mr Bascome started cooking more than four decades ago, he said there was no formal college training programme.

He said: “We had many Bermudian chefs at the time, so I had the opportunity to train under them until they opened up the hotel school. Then I went there for three years.”

Through the Plates of Passion event, he hopes to encourage and engage more young people so they will continue on in the culinary arts.

Mr Todd, 18, said he was looking forward to working with Mr Bascome because of his wealth of experience and popularity he’s earned with both tourists and locals.

Mr Todd took part in the event last year and said he gained a lot of experience.

“But this year, I am looking forward to seeing how much more I have to learn. There are so many new techniques and cultural cuisines that you really need to get hands on experience in the business to learn about.”

Bolero Chef Jonny Roberts has also agreed to take part in the event for a second year.

He said: “I really enjoyed it last year and it was a great event. It was very enjoyable and great working with the other chefs and students.

“There were great bonds being formed and we all had a laugh, but the pressure was also there as well so that was ultimately the best part for me.”

Mr Roberts said the students were bound to get a lot from the event, as long as they are willing to work hard.

He will be working with students Kadian Bean, age 25, and Isaiah Caisey, 18.

This will be the first challenge like this for Mr Caisey, but he said he was looking to get all he could from the experience.

“I’m nervous and excited at the same time because it’s a new experience with all the rush of the kitchen,” he said. “In class it’s more relaxed and you have more time, but with this event you have to get more plates out at a quicker speed. It’s going to be fun though.”

The teams’ respective journeys will be documented on video and posted on YouTube weekly, starting this Friday.

Tables are currently being sold during this month via www.Ptix.bm; but individual tickets will not go on sale until March 3rd.