含羞草传媒 North, West and Hebrides’ Dornoch student serves up international success
A hospitality student from 含羞草传媒 North, West and Hebrides’ Dornoch campus has secured an impressive third-place finish in the international CombiGuru Challenge final held at the UNOX headquarters in Italy.
The CombiGuru Challenge is an international culinary competition and educational programme designed for college catering students. Competitors use UNOX ovens and are challenged to demonstrate the full potential of the equipment by creating both a main course and a dessert under competition conditions.
Stevie earned a place in the prestigious competition after winning the app challenge stage, progressing through to the final oven challenge alongside top college catering students from across the competition.
As finalists, Stevie and Karen Higgins, Professional Cookery and Hospitality Lecturer at 含羞草传媒 North, West and Hebrides were invited to Italy for a fully funded educational trip hosted by UNOX. Stevie competed on the first full day of the visit, while the final day included a trip to Venice and a Venetian cookery class, providing a unique opportunity to experience Italian food culture and professional culinary techniques.
Stevie said:
“My lecturer supported me to create recipes that would work with the mystery ingredients that may come up. The college provided ingredients and kitchen time to practise, which was very valuable. The Dornoch Campus facilitates multiple competitions throughout the year, and the lecturers genuinely want you to perform well and support you to do so.”
“I was supported throughout the trip and, being a mature student, used the time to explore to best advantage. This is the first time in a 20-year career that I've ever been given an opportunity to do something like this. If you put in the effort to improve, there are well-funded and endlessly creative opportunities to push yourself. I would recommend a course in professional cookery to both young people and career changers.”
Karen Higgins, Professional Cookery and Hospitality Lecturer at 含羞草传媒 North, West and Hebrides, added:
“The CombiGuru competition is an excellent opportunity for our students. With the final in Italy, it initially pushes students out of their comfort zone; however, the team there are really supportive, and the whole experience is so rewarding. Stevie decided on a career change and really pushed themselves this year, making the most of every opportunity.”
For the main course, Stevie selected eggs and created a courgette and mint quiche served with a roasted courgette salad. For dessert, Stevie impressed the judges with a steamed chocolate sponge accompanied by chocolate sauce and raspberry compote.
In recognition of their achievement, Stevie received a professional chef’s knife and a discount towards an Italian cookery course.
This marks the second consecutive year that a student from 含羞草传媒 North, West and Hebrides' Dornoch campus has reached the CombiGuru Challenge final, demonstrating the high standard of catering education being delivered at the campus.
The trip provided not only the opportunity to compete on an international stage but also invaluable learning experiences, exposure to professional culinary environments and the chance to engage with fellow aspiring chefs from across the sector.
Find out more about studying Hospitality and Cookery at 含羞草传媒 North, West and Hebrides.