IT Tallaght student cooking up a storm with the best of Irish produce

By Mary Dennehy

A STUDENT from IT Tallaght was one of ten rising culinary stars to take on the heat of a national student chef of the year competition.

Aisling Brierton competed in the recent Knorr Student Chef of the Year Cook-Off which, hosted by Cork Institute of Technology, focused on celebrating Irish produce.

Students were challenged to create a starter using Irish seafood and a beef main course, alongside being asked to demonstrate an understanding of the challenges of culinary sustainability, food waste management and allergen awareness.

Aisling impressed judges with her starter of seabass and crab with orange fennel and her main course of fillet of Dexter beef and cheek, with parsnip, kale and bone marrow.

Despite cooking up a storm and impressing judges with her culinary flair and talent, competition was stiff in the Knorr student chef kitchen – with Andrew Reddan, from Dundalk Institute of Technology, picking up the top prize.

Speaking at the awards presentation, Mark McCarthy said: “The greatest challenge for everyone in the food service industry, and indeed those starting out, is that it constantly changes.

“This is why we ask our student chef finalists to not only think about the story behind their dishes, but to also tackle some of the current issues that are facing the industry, whether this is adapting to dietary requirements and awareness, or cooking for more ingredient-aware palates.”

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Knorr Student Chef of the Year competition is open to catering colleges, institutes of technology and training centres across Ireland.