SRC students book their place in Generation Chef grand final

Hospitality and Professional Cookery students from Southern Regional College have qualified for the 2026 Generation Chef grand final after competing in a regional heat at the College's Newry campus, the venue for the Northern Ireland final at the end of April.

The regional heat, held at the end of March, saw two student teams put through their paces in both kitchen and front of house settings, with a panel of industry judges assessing their performance throughout. Among those on the judging panel were Michelin-starred chef Danni Barry and Gerard McClelland, General Manager of the Maghera Inn.

Danni Barry focused her assessment on communication within the kitchen and between the kitchen and front of house teams, as well as the thinking behind menu choices and how the students performed under pressure. Gerard McClelland concentrated on the front of house operation, looking closely at customer interaction and the overall standard of table presentation.

After a closely contested competition, the winning team of Eva Newell (18) from Kilkeel, Leon Ruddy (18) from Bleary and Katie Gray (17) from Collone, Armagh secured their place in the Northern Ireland final. They narrowly edged out a competing team of Lubo Mulkearns (17) from Jonesborough, Simona Nagrodskyte (18) from Silverbridge and Olivia Kaminska (16) from Newry, with judges commending both teams for their professionalism and teamwork.

Eva Newell said after the event: "Today's experience was challenging but really enjoyable. I'm looking forward to pushing myself further in the grand final and seeing how far we can go."

Leon Ruddy added: "I'm absolutely delighted to be representing SRC in the Generation Chef competition. We're expecting strong competition from other colleges, and it's going to be an amazing experience."

Michelle Moore, Curriculum Area Manager at Southern Regional College, said: "Generation Chef is an excellent competition that provides aspiring chefs and front-of-house students across all six further education colleges in Northern Ireland with a valuable platform to showcase their talent, creativity, and professionalism. These events are made possible through the continued dedication and support of our Culinary Arts Lecturers, Lynette and Keith, and our Hospitality Lecturer, Seamus."

She added: "Last year, we were exceptionally proud of our staff and students at SRC when we were crowned the Northern Ireland Final winners of Generation Chef. This year, we are delighted to be hosting the NI Final on 30 April, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and guests to what promises to be another outstanding event, with student prizes sponsored by Henderson Foodservice, TMR Hotels, and Hastings Hotels."

The Generation Chef competition is supported by Northern Ireland's eleven Rotary Clubs and aims to identify and promote emerging talent within the hospitality and food industry. As winners of the 2025 final, SRC will host this year's grand final at its Newry campus on 30 April, with student teams from across Northern Ireland's Further Education College network taking part. The winning team's menus remain under wraps as they continue to prepare ahead of the event.

The heat was sponsored by WBR Credit Union and Fisher and Fisher Solicitors.