Top award was on the menu for chefs
West College Scotland trio get cooking for title
Paisley college chefs have been battling it out to be named king - or queen - of the kitchen in a rather tasty competition.
Three made it to the final of the much-coveted West College Scotland Paisley campus’s Chef of the Year competition.
The annual competition, which launched last year, saw three students prepare a threecourse menu, with just the ingredients they were given that morning.
Sagar Massey, Nicole Haughie and Phil Kerr all engrossed themselves in the competition - with Sagar claiming first place and scooping the 2016-17 title.
Eighteen-year-old Sagar, from Paisley, said: “I’m delighted to have won the competition.
“It was hard, but it’s a great feeling.
“I’m currently working part time at Wishart’s, at Cameron House, which I’m really enjoying.
“I’m coming back to college next year as I still have skills to learn and I enjoy the buzz of competition work.
“For the second year running, I was also able to go down to Grimsby for the Young Seafood Chef of the Year competition.
“It’s all a great learning experience.”
A big thank you goes to Jason Andrews, owner of the Fox and Hounds and the River Inn in Houston, for judging the competition and giving valuable feedback and tips throughout the students’ cooking experience.
Sagar was delighted to be announced as the winner and, in addition to having his name added to the Winner Shield, he was given a meal for two at one of Jason’s eateries.
Jim McAllister, head of sector for Hospitality, Tourism and Languages, said: “All of our students have worked extremely hard over the past year to perfect and hone their skills.
“Competitions like these allow students to show their imagination and get creative with their dishes.”
Hos p i t a l i t y lecturer Christopher Watson, added: “Competition work really does allow students to push their limit and see how well they can cope under pressure.
“We are very grateful for Jason’s input into the competition and we are pleased that as a department we have many valuable industry and partner links who work closely with the college throughout the year.
“Such great industry support really enriches our students learning experience.’