Success on a plate for Cheshire College –South & West

Cheshire College – South & West was elated after a team of its Hospitality and Catering students won the Spice it Up with Schwartz Prize at the Zest Quest Asia 2023 competition.

Level 3 Professional Cookery students Alena Bishdary, Finn Kinsella and James Parker, all from Ellesmere Port, qualified for the finals in January 2023, after an intensely competitive shortlisting process.

Zest Quest Asia has been an established culinary competition for a decade, celebrating the creativity, knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Asian cuisine. In preparation for the finals, the team created a bespoke Sri Lankaninspired menu.

The live cook-off took place at the Radison Red London Heathrow during a Gala Awards Dinner. The team’s dishes were presented to a board of judges, headed by Steve Munkley, vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs.

As winners in the Spice it Up with Schwartz category, the team will receive a tour of McCormick’s Factory. McCormick’s is famed for its spice, mix and sauce manufacturing, and the Cheshire College team will also get sensory experience with McCormick’s as part of their prize.

Lecturer Adam Gaunt-Evans said that the team’s success was a “testament to their determination, hard work and creativity. Professional cookery competitions are an exercise in focus and precision, and the team did Cheshire College proud!”

Meanwhile the College has hosted an Apprenticeship Open Evening highlighting the benefits of becoming an Apprentice and providing information about Apprenticeships to members of the public.

Cheshire College has over 1,000 Apprentices, works with over 500 local, national and international employers and delivers Apprenticeships across a wide range of sectors including, Health,

Public Services & Care, Engineering & Manufacturing, Construction & Building Services, Information & Communications Technology, Retail & Commercial Enterprise, Education & Training and Business, Administration & Law.

Karen Roberts, Assistant Principal – Apprenticeships and Employer said: “We had a diverse cohort of employers at the event, who are all passionate about apprenticeships. With our strong corporate partnerships and exciting learning programmes, there’s never been a better time to start an apprenticeship at Cheshire College.”

To find out more about becoming an Apprentice, visit www.ccsw.ac.uk If you are an employer interested in benefitting from an Apprentice, email employers@ccsw.ac.uk or call 01244 656499.