It only took a matter of days before students in the Culinary Arts department at Okanagan College were test-driving their new combi-ovens with succulent pork roasts.

“It turned out beautifully, a bit like pulled pork,” said Culinary Arts Instructor Mike Barillaro. “I’ll probably be creating a few new recipes so the students can have more experience with this type of oven.”

The two Henny Penny combi-ovens, which combine the cooking qualities of steam and convection, make up part of a loan of cutting edge industrial equipment worth about $100,000 from DSL Inc., a premier food service equipment provider in Western Canada.

Other equipment that rolled into the program’s kitchen were:

– Two Henny Penny open fryers with computron 8000 controls

– Taylor clamshell flat top grill

– Taylor batch ice cream freezer

Chefs from Henny Penny arrived at the College to give the instructors a cooking lesson, including a demonstration of the fryer that operates with filters that extend the life of the cooking oil by as much as three-times.

Students will spend about two years with the equipment, and the plan is to replace the pieces with new technology once available.

“What we want to do is open students’ eyes to what is available out there,” said Ed Tkaczyk, B.C. sales manager for DSL.

Randy Werger, Associate Dean of Trades and Apprenticeships, said the College is grateful DSL thought of Okanagan students when it initiated the program.

“Employers expect our students to be up-to-date when it comes to their training, but providing the latest equipment is another matter, given the high expense,” Werger said. “Programs like this make it possible.”

The program is also being rolled out at Vancouver Community College and Vancouver Island University.