This year marks the 21st annual Knorr Student Chef of the Year competition. Preparations for the event are well underway and Dundalk Institute of Technology will soon welcome culinary students from across Ireland. The final cook-off will commence on Tuesday April 18, 2018.
The Knorr Student Chef of the Year competition allows up-and-coming student chefs to showcase their talent, love of food, creativity and innovation in front of some of Ireland’s leading food professionals.
Celebrating Ireland’s first Michelin-starred pub, the theme of this year’s competition is ‘A Contemporary Take on Traditional Irish Pub Dishes’ and is focused on using sustainable Irish produce. This year’s judging panel will feature Unilever Food Solutions’ Business Development Chef Mark McCarthy alongside special guest judge Aidan McGrath, Chef Patron at Wild Honey Inn, Ireland’s first Michelin-starred pub. Also joining the panel are restaurant critic Katy McGuinness and Michael McNamara, Chef Lecturer, Dundalk Institute of Technology.
This year's students are being challenged to create a vegetarian starter and a main course celebrating Irish seafood. Students must demonstrate an understanding of the importance of locally sourced and produced ingredients in the creation of their menu.
Speaking about this year’s competition, McCarthy said, “Knorr Student Chef of the Year continues to be a leading culinary competition in Ireland. Students get the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and creativity by constructing a menu which expresses their interpretation of the theme to food industry professionals. We’ve had some truly great chefs compete in the competition over the last two decades, which is testament to the talent across the country and the culinary colleges that harness and develop their skills.”
Besides the Knorr Student Chef of the Year title, the winner will also receive a Wild Atlantic Way culinary experience. The first two nights will be spent in Galway, dining at the Michelin-starred Loam and Anair restaurants, with a final night at the Wild Honey Inn, located in the heart of The Burren in Co.Clare.
The 2018 Knorr Student Chef of the Year competition is open to second year students from participating catering colleges, training centres and Institutes of Technology. The winning entrant from each participating college will travel to Dundalk Institute of Technology for the Knorr Student Chef of the Year final on Tuesday April 17.
