Members of the national Junior Culinary Team are in Saskatoon for a special event to hone their skills and share their expertise with up and coming chefs.

Students from SIAST, the province's post-secondary college, will be learning from the Team Canada experts in a series of lectures, presentations and cooking demonstrations.

Tyson Gee, the captain of the team, said he was impressed by the quality of cooking he has seen in Saskatoon.

"Honestly prior to coming here, your vision of Saskatoon was kind of more meat and potato," Gee said Saturday. "But coming here, the whole food culture here is completely different than what I thought it would've been.

There can never be too many chefs in the kitchen, when students are learning from the pros. Ryan Pilon/CBC

"Actually, it's pretty good here," he added. "I really enjoyed everything I've had so far. It's great to see a big emphasis on local products here."

SIAST student Stacey Sommerfeld said she would like to try her hand at winning a spot on the national culinary team one day.

"It's just a thrill to see what we can actually accomplish," she said. "It's so much dedication but I think it's worth it."

The chefs are also preparing dishes for a gala dinner Saturday night, which will include professionals from restaurant kitchens throughout the city. The junior team is set to compete at the World Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany later this year.