The Department of Tourism & Hospitality at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) is delighted to be the host venue for this year’s KNORR Student Chef of the Year Competition, which takes place on March 14th. This is a particularly special year for the competition as it has reached its 20th year.

The hotly contested event is the largest of its kind in Ireland and will involve student chefs from across the culinary colleges, throughout the country, competing in a cook-off in the excellent culinary training facilities located in the Bishopstown Campus. This year’s theme is “Provenance: the story behind the menu” and judges include Unilever Food Solutions Business Development Chef, Mark McCarthy, James Devine, the winner of the UK’s Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year Title, Fergal O Sullivan, who is CEO of the Coeliac Society of Ireland, along with CIT’s Chef Lecturer, Ann O Connor.

The student chefs will be challenged to create a starter using Irish seafood, along with a main course which celebrates the quality of Irish beef.  An understanding of the importance of locally sourced produce will be essential, and all dishes must be gluten-free and suitable for coeliacs.

Dr Noel Murray, Head of Department, said “We are delighted to welcome students from across Ireland to our facility and look forwarding to witnessing the best of what culinary students have to offer in terms of quality and skills.”

The overall winner will be crowned KNORR Student Chef of the Year and experience a food trip to New York which will include a dining experience at the three Michelin Star Restaurant, Eleven Madison Park.

The Department of Tourism and Hospitality at CIT encompasses the areas of Culinary Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Bar Management. It has over 650 students and a team of dedicated student-centred industry experienced Lecturers across these disciplines and is located in a modern purpose-built building on CIT’s Bishopstown Campus.