A team from South West College has beaten stiff competition to clinch one of the UK’s most prestigious student catering awards, the Nestlé Toque d’Or.
Dungannon girls Colleen McCann and Lauren Beavers wowed judges, including celebrity chef James Tanner and Michelin-starred chef Alan Murchison, during a gruelling four day grand final.
The competition saw them undertake a number of cooking and presentation challenges including servicing £1,000-a-seat private hospitality suites at the O2 Arena, London.
Now in its 25th year, the Nestlé Toque d’Or is the UK’s premier student culinary and restaurant service competition. The South West College students join an elite list of winners and will now take up a rare personalised work placement with top chef Anton Mosimann OBE.
Colleen – who competed front of house for the team – said they were ‘delighted’ their hard work had paid off, adding: “We couldn’t believe it when we made it through to the finals, and winning the overall competition is just surreal – we simply can’t believe it! We are now looking forward to spending some amazing time working with Anton Mosimann – it’s literally a dream come true.”
Malachy McAleer, director of South West College said: “Our congratulations go first and foremost to Colleen and Lauren. The finalists in this competition are among the very best in the UK and they have excelled with resilience, creativity and ambition.
“This is also a landmark achievement for South West College and our catering staff, especially for Patrick McAnerney and Grainne Mulholland who mentored the students on their journey.
“We’ve invested to ensure our students have access to the very best facilities and opportunities to demonstrate their ability and realise their potential. This award further confirms our catering team among the very best in the business.”
Chairman of Judges, celebrity chef James Tanner, said: “The students are really thrown in at the deep end throughout the competition, faced with foreign products in an unfamiliar and often daunting environment.”