Taste of success for St Austell’s Cookery students

Professional Cookery students from St Austell have seasoned their way to success, securing silver medals at the prestigious Country Range UK Student Chef Challenge finals held at the Excel Food and Hospitality Show in London, as a part of the International Salon Culinaire series of competitions.

Harley Hacker, Abigale Turner and Lucy Hammett, learners at the St Austell campus of The Cornwall College Group (TCCG), crafted an award-winning menu using carefully sourced fresh ingredients from Billingsgate Fish Market.

Participating for the first time this year, the aspiring chefs from Cornwall College, renowned as the ‘Top FE College for Education and Training in Cornwall,’ left a significant mark on the stage, bringing home silver awards.

Reflecting on the achievement, Lucy said: “The competition was really tough and this is the first time we competed on such a grand stage, in the final of Country Range UK Student Chef Challenge. The fact that Cornwall College made it to the final was an amazing achievement, but coming in third place was just an icing on the cake for us.”

Harley expressed his enthusiasm, he stated: “This experience has been a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our skills. We put in a lot of hard work and dedication, and it feels incredible to see it pay off.”

Abigale added: “Being part of this competition was both challenging and rewarding. It pushed us to our limits and allowed us to grow as chefs.”

For TCCG’s Study Programme Manager for Patisserie and Catering, Alan Holloway, the competition served as “an inspiring platform for students to work under pressure and against the clock.”

“Our students have worked incredibly hard over the last few months by practicing and refining their techniques. Cornwall College has received fantastic feedback from the judges, emphasising how well our learners work together, showing a great level of teamwork at a competition of this level,” Alan continued.

Steve Rudd, study programme manager for professional cookery, hopes this achievement will “positively influence aspiring chefs and young pupils to explore cookery options at Cornwall College and continue shining on national stages at competitions.”

To find out more about courses available at the Top FE College for education and training in Cornwall Cornwall, visit the website.