Friday, February 24, 2012
A West Cork man was served up a top culinary award yesterday by being named the best student cook in the country.
Shane Deane, from Kilbrittain, received the major accolade at the 2012 Knorr student chef of the year awards.
The 24-year-old, who is studying on the national apprenticeship programme in professional cookery at Cork Institute of Technology, won the top award by whipping up a fish, pasta, meat, and vegetable meal.
In the course of the contest, his ability to turn up the heat on his nine opponents means the student has been earmarked for a glittering future career in the vital industry.
Judges said Shane’s panfried fillet of gurnard with gazpacho tagliatelle and clams starter, coupled with a main course of seared loin of wild venison with Waterfall farm vegetables and nettle and wild garlic essence, made him stand out from the cooking crowd.
In addition to being named best student chef, the West Cork man has been awarded a specially commissioned trophy to commemorate the 15th year of the national competition.
He will also be taken on a trip to London to enjoy what organisers have described as “an evening of gastronomic greatness” at Heston Blumenthal’s award-winning The Fat Duck restaurant.
Among the top three were 38-year-old Keith Pigott from Tralee, Co Kerry, who is studying the higher certificate in culinary arts at IT Tralee; and 19-year-old Róisín Ní Shuilleabhain Haughton, who is studying culinary arts at Limerick IT.
Other contestants in the top 10 were from Athlone IT, the Defence Forces school of catering, DIT Cathal Brugha, Dundalk IT, Galway-Mayo IT, Tallaght IT and Waterford IT.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, organisers said the awards “showcased the incredible talent coming through the ranks of Ireland’s catering colleges” and were confident “the future remains bright”.