Culinary arts students sweep the boards at Chef Ireland 2014

GMIT Culinary Arts degree students have swept the boards at this year’s Chef Ireland competition, winning three Gold, five Silver, five Bronze medals and numerous Certificates of Merits. Elaine Boyle from Kilconly, Tuam, won double Gold in the 3-tier Wedding Cake Category and Gold in the Novelty Cake category.

Fifteen GMIT students took part in the competition which took place during the Irish Hospitality Industries Exhibition in the RDS in early February. Yulia Babikova from Galway city won Silver in the Wedding Cake category, and Lucia Mesarcikova, also from Galway city, won Bronze in the dessert category.

Silver medals were awarded to GMIT students on the Higher Certificate in Culinary Arts Linda Mc Donald from Sligo, Niall Morahan from Carrick-on-Shannon, and Nuno Ferreira from Galway city, who also won a bronze medal. Other bronze medal winners were Patrick Philips from Galway city, Margaret O' Halloran  from Athenry, Leah Mc Evoy from Claregalway  and Zoe Keller from Portarlington.

Chef Ireland is one of the highlights of the culinary arts calendar with colleges around the country competing for top awards. The event features a range of different categories in which student chefs are pitched against experienced senior chefs.

Gerry Talbot, Head of Dept, GMIT College of Tourism & Arts, paid tribute to the students for their excellent performance. “We’re delighted with our students’ achievements and especially Elaine’s double Gold win for her wedding cake, and her third Gold medal for her novelty cake. We’ve been consistently winning top awards in culinary competitions since the college opened forty years ago, but this is the first time a double Gold, to my knowledge, has every been awarded by judges.”

“It’s a fantastic achievement for her and for all the students who took home medals and certificates of merit.” adds Mr Talbot.