Catering student reaches final of national culinary competition

A catering and hospitality student from North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) has reached the final of a national skills competition designed to showcase the talents of budding chefs from across the UK. Harry Forbes from Hinckley will compete in the finals of the British Culinary Foundation’s ‘Student Chef of the Year’ at University College Birmingham later this month.

Harry, a student on the college’s Level 3 professional cookery programme, has already successfully achieved qualifications in hospitality and catering at the college and was a member of the student team that collected two awards in the national finals of the UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year in Sheffield earlier this year.

Harry will compete with students from seven other further education colleges based around the country. He will be challenged to prepare a three-course menu of his own creation against the clock to include a vegetarian starter, cod main course and dessert of his choice.

Also reaching the finals is college alumni Dean Burnham who will compete in the Young Chef of the Year competition on 13 November. Since leaving the college, Dean, who works at Badgers Mount hotel and restaurant in Leicestershire, has been helping to mentor current students starting out on their career journeys.

Awards organiser Andrew Sage from the British Culinary Foundation said, “I would like to congratulate all the students who entered the competition; the response from up and down the country has been exceptional and the standard of menus has impressed me. Congratulations to Harry and Dean for making it through to their respective finals and I wish them every success as they start to prepare for the challenge.”

Jon Starns, Catering and Hospitality Lead for NWSLC, said, “This is fantastic news for Harry who is a dedicated student at the college and highly focused on developing his cookery skills. His success in reaching the final is based on commitment and hard work, and Harry is a great role model for his peers. We’re proud of Dean’s progress too; it is always great to hear about former students who are progressing well in their careers. We maintain links with them and are keen for them to return as mentors, to inspire current students, and to pass on their skills to the next generation.”

Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive of NWSLC said, “Skills competitions like these help our students to test their capabilities under pressure, build their self-confidence and develop employability skills. Congratulations to Harry and Dean on their achievements so far and we wish them the best for the finals.”

NWSLC offers courses in catering and hospitality from foundation level to Level 3. The college’s Glebegate training restaurant is open to the public for lunch and dinner so you can experience our students’ skills in action.