Write a commentSRC Catering Students bring home the bacon Returning from IFEX in a haze of glory, the Professional Chef and Food Service students from Southern Regional College are taking a well earned break after producing some of their best work at the large hospitality event held in Belfast.
Having brought home the largest haul of medals of any of the College’s in Northern Ireland, the students and staff are very rightly, pleased as punch!
IFEX, Northern Ireland’s largest and only International Food, Drink, Retail and Hospitality Exhibition is a three-day event, which took place at the King’s Hall, Belfast and was attended by over 6,000 visitors.
The SRC students managed to achieve a grand total of 14 Gold Medals, 3 Silver Medals, 1 Bronze Medal and 1 Certificate of Merit. The team included students from the Foundation Degree in Hospitality & Tourism, Foundation Degree in International Culinary Arts, Apprenticeship NI, BTEC Hospitality, NVQ Food & Drink Service, NVQ Professional Cookery and NVQ Multi-skills in Hospitality.
Evelyn McBurney, Head of School for Hospitality and Tourism at SRC commented: “This is the most successful we have ever been in all our years competing at IFEX. I am so pleased for the students themselves and also for the Hospitality and Catering staff who work so tirelessly to provide SRC’s students with the best possible learning experience and prepare them for success in all areas of their lives.”
The team of lecturers who drove the students to success include Adrian Fitzpatrick, Deborah Ferguson, Nino MacMahon, Jenny Bell, Lynette McMath and Roisin Murray-Gibbons.
The particular highlight of the three days was the ‘Parade de Chefs’ which saw a student team of six chefs and six food service students produce a gourmet menu with dishes such as Foie Gras, Terrine of Ham and Rhubarb Ripple Parfait which was then served to fifty diners. The group received both a Gold Medal and Best in Class for their efforts.
Gold Winning students were: Johnny Fearon John Loughran Emma Donnelly Brendan Baxter Andrew McKee Steven Cochrane Brendan Baxter (2 gold medals) Bernadette Lively Man Kin Chan Stuart Mc Loughlin Vicky Ribaciauskaite Paedar Mc Mahon Alexandra Thompson
Silver Medal winners were: Andrew Mc Kee Nadine Gallagher Janine Mc Cartan
Bronze Medal winner: Damien Crommie Certificate of Merit Rubert Moorehead
