Students reach finals of renowned industry competitions

City of Glasgow College’s reputation for excellence in culinary and hospitality is in no doubt as two teams of students reach the 2022 grand finals of two high profile industry competitions.

HND Professional Cookery student, Krisztina Nagy, and HND Hospitality Management student, Tara Humphrey, will represent the college - in Back of House and Front of House respectively - at the prestigious Nestlé Professional Toque d’Or.

The final takes place during the last week in April, with Krisztina and Tara facing a week of challenges and opportunities around a sustainable futures theme.

The winners, who will be announced on 29 April, will be taken to the Worldchefs’ Congress & Expo in Abu Dhabi in June, and a gastronomic weekend in Dubai.

Tara Humphrey is also in the running for UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year together with Ryan Mace-Hopkins and Robbie McDougal, who are both studying HND Professional Cookery.

They will compete against peers from Loughborough College, The Sheffield College and Eastleigh College at the Skills for Chefs Conference on 29 June.

Jane Carr-Gomm, Associate Dean for Hospitality and Tourism at City of Glasgow College, said:

“We’re delighted for and very proud of Tara, Krisztina, Ryan and Robbie for getting through to these particular finals. This is well deserved recognition of their hard work, commitment and talent. High-profile competitions like these really test our students' skills and challenge them to perfect their techniques. It lets them experience the type of pressure they will come under when working in the industry, which is invaluable.”

Tara Humphrey feels very fortunate to have been entered into both of these competitions, saying:

“Getting through to the heats and into both finals is something I’m not taking for granted. I am very excited, and a little bit nervous, for both of them. Both of these competitions have been great confidence boosters for me, and have allowed me to meet many of the top judges and people in the hospitality industry. The experience so far has been unbelievable and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what we’ll be getting up to in the finals!”

The overall winners of the UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year will enjoy a study trip to Lyon including a visit to Institute Paul Bocuse, the leading hospitality, restaurant and culinary arts management school in France.

For those interested in following in the footsteps of these students, details of Culinary Arts courses and Hospitality courses are available on our website.