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Hotel college students serve golden dish

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A TEAM of students from the Shannon College of Hotel Management won gold at the Chef Ireland competition at the Hospitality Expo in the RDS last week.

Over 200 entries were received by Chef Ireland for the 11 categories of culinary competitions for senior professionals and junior chefs. It is one of the largest and most prestigious national competitions for professional chefs in Ireland and it attracts entries from leading restaurants and hospitality establishments around Ireland.

The Shannon College team included David Wallace from Bunratty and his team-mates Peter Searle (Kerry) and Tracy Deane (Carlow).

David Wallace, Tracy Deane and Peter Searle wearing their Chef Ireland competition medals.
David Wallace, Tracy Deane and Peter Searle wearing their Chef Ireland competition medals.

The students were coached by lecturers Andrew Langford, Chef Sarah Ryan and Chef Sean T Ruane, who mentored the students throughout the preparation and training in the weeks leading up to the competition.

Ms Ryan said the competition is quite an intense event. “The Cook Serve event is a 90 minute high-pressure competition involving a team of two chefs and a server who plan, prepare, cook and present a meal to invited guests and a panel of judges. There are a number of complex compulsory elements including a speciality coffee and flambé dish. Competitors included professionals with industry experience and it is therefore a great achievement for three undergraduate students to take the gold medal.”
David Wallace said the competition was tough and they hadn’t expected to come out on top. “We can’t believe we won gold in this competition. It’s fantastic considering the calibre of the competition we faced at the event. We hope this win will provide us with new opportunities in the culinary industry in the future.”

David is a third year student on the Bachelor of Business Studies in International Hotel Management. Last year he completed a placement in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Frankfurt. Hospitality was an obvious choice for David, whose family owns and operates the Bunratty Manor Hotel.

 

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