Heidi Belshaw and James Piprell last week came fourth in the final of the National Seafood Championships, an event that the CFE can no longer afford to enter. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0772106)

A LACK of cash will prevent College of Further Education catering students entering the UK’s biggest seafood competition next year.

Programme manager for hospitality and catering Steve Bacon said taking part in the UK Seafood Championship cost about £700.

‘We’ve decided to stop simply because of the cost. It’s a real shame because we’ve got the skills to represent Guernsey.’

Students from the college won the competition, held in Grimsby, outright in their first year of entering and have reached the final for the past five years.

In the past the catering course has used its tip fund and money from fund-raising events to get to the regional heat and final.

It also used money from the college’s budget.

Mr Bacon said the college would now focus on competitions closer to home – in Bournemouth and Southampton – because he could not build the competition into his budget. ‘They will be easier to get to and more students will be able to enter.’