Last Thursday saw the Cambridge Guildhall transformed once again into a battle of the toques blanches as the crème de la crème of college chefs pitted themselves against one another in the annual culinary competition. A chance to demonstrate real gourmet flare, the 2010 event proved once again that college catering teams are capable of producing some fantastic dishes which we undergraduates can only dream of sampling.

This year saw 14 colleges taking part, a little fewer than last year when a record 72 chefs from 16 different colleges participated in the 800th anniversary edition. Nevertheless, the standard remains amazing: the dishes on display would have been more at home at a Michelin starred country house hotel than a college dining room.

The teams had to prepare the usual eight different ‘classes’. My favourite dishes had to be: Wild Rice & Spring Onion Pancakes with Avocado Lime Salsa; Filo Tartlets with Bang Bang Chicken; Rare Roast Beef with Wholegrain Crème Fraiche in Poppy Seed Tartlets (canapés); Seared hand-dived Scallops with Peking Duck & Shiitake Mushrooms with Ginger Hoisin & Shallot Dressing (cold starter); Caramelised Roulade of Gressingham Duck served on Braised Bok Choi (hot main); Baked Cheesecake of Spinach & Blue Cheese served with Stuffed Polenta (hot vegetarian main); Denham Castle loin of lamb with a farce of Wild Mushrooms & Roasted Garlic (U21); a

A Chocolate Symphony for Two (cold sweet); Wattleseed, Apple & Almond Cake (tea cakes); Orange & Kumquat Viennese (petit fours).

Did that list make your mouth water? Is your stomach rumbling at the prospect of sampling even one of these delicacies? Do you even know what a "farce of wild mushrooms" is? (Me neither, though presumably they are highly amusing). Then you’re in the same predicament I was: I WASN’T ALLOWED TO EAT ANYTHING. Rather, the dishes on display were cling-film covered samples that the 15-strong team of judges led by Peter Griffiths MBE had to choose between. Presumably they were permitted to taste the dishes. I sincerely hope they enjoyed them.

In this competition, the Sidney Sussex team are the big cheeses. As winners of last year’s Stewards’ Cup, they were raring to defend their title. However, this year a special ingredient was added into the mixture in the form of a live cookery competition. Although this part of the competition was held back in October at the Cambridge Regional College, the prizes were awarded here today at the Guildhall by the Mayor of Cambridge, Councillor Sheila Stuart. Knocking Sidney off their plinth was Nathan Aldous from Emmanuel who snapped up the gold with Pan Fried Scallops with Butternut Squash Purée, White Chocolate Foam & Truffled Potato (starter) followed by Tenderloin of Pork With Pineapple, Garlic & Pickled Trumpete Noir (main).

Byron Franklin from Queens’ took silver, and Oliver Prince (also from Emmanuel) came in third for the bronze. Don’t they look happy in their victory photograph? If only they could smile like that in the canteen on a Thursday afternoon, we’d look content as well. That said, I think one or two disgruntled Sidney chefs are lurking in the background…

I don’t want you to think that I left the event hungry. Far from it: as well as the many tempting dishes that fed only my eyes, several independent food companies that supply the colleges had set up stalls to advertise their wares. I sampled some succulent venison sausages from the Denham Estate, several artisan cheeses from The Cambridge Food Company, and three peaty game morsels from the Radwinter Wild Game Company. I also tried to convince the boys from M&J Seafood to let me have their whole Scottish Salmon after the event was over so I could poach it for dinner. My efforts went sadly unrewarded but they did give me a few Colchester Oysters as a consolation prize.

Talking to Mark Hulme, the owner of The Cambridge Food Company, and Gilly and Jeremy Kiddy, the lovely couple behind the Radwinter, it became clear to me how important it is for Cambridge colleges to continue supporting local, independent businesses that pride themselves on using fresh, sustainable products – even if it means paying that little bit extra.

Despite the huge amount of delicious-looking food that I couldn’t eat, I left the event contented. We are lucky to be at a university that takes its food so seriously, even if we rarely get to sample the haute cuisine menus. Next year, my successor ought to get him or herself invited to the Judges & VIP Luncheon that was held this year at St Catharine’s. In the meantime, those of you at Emmanuel had better keep a low profile or else everyone will be begging for a dinner party at your place. And if you’re all good boys and girls, a "farce of wild mushrooms" might feature on tomorrow’s hall menu.