Culinary student wins top awards at ChefSkills 2012

Three culinary students from GMIT Hotel School have won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, respectively, at the IFEX ChefSkills 2012 competition which took place in Belfast recently.

BA Culinary Arts student Julia Babikova from Galway won a gold medal for her “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” novelty cake.  Judges were very impressed by the level of skill used to make the features so perfectly.

Brian Dermody from Corofin, Co. Clare, a second year student on the Higher Certificate in Culinary Arts programme, won a silver medal in the Ethnic International Competition.  He had 45 minutes to prepare a two-course Italian meal. He made crab risotto with avocado ice-cream, foam sauce, gremolata powder, and sunflower seed oil.  His dessert was Sicilian lemon and pistachio mousse.

Mihai Schirliu from Galway, a first year student on the Higher Certificate in Culinary Arts programame, and a trainee chef working in the Twelve’s West Restaurant, Galway, won a bronze medal for his fish dish, preparing and cooking the meal in 35 minutes. He made a Scallop encrusted Hake fillet, Spinach & Wild Garlic Puree, Lime Confit, Potato Foam Basket, with Seasonal Vegetables and Lemon and Rapeseed Snow.

Renowned for its high level of skill, the ChefSkills competitions has a long history of awarding some of Ireland’s most celebrated chefs in the early stages of their careers. 

Maria Conboy, Culinary Arts lecturer, GMIT Hotel School, says “With 220 young chefs taking part in 25 competitions in the IFEX ChefSkills 2012, the three GMIT students did exceptionally well to win awards in their categories.”

GMIT Hotel School offers a number of exciting and innovative programmes for those interested in developing and perfecting their culinary skills.  Applications are now being accepted for a number of part-time culinary programmes – the BA Culinary Arts Degree, the Culinary Traineeship (Advanced Certificate in Professional Cookery-day release) and the Total Immersion Chef Programme (TICP Advanced Certificate in Professional Cookery). 

The programmes are aimed at people already working in the industry and those wishing to change careers.  The closing date for applications is Friday, 18th of May. See www.gmit.ie/thehotelschool or contact the Admissions Office in GMIT for more information, tel. 091 742262/ 742140

Pictured on the homepage, l-r: Brian Dermody (Bronze), Julia Babikova (Gold), and Mihai Schirliu (Silver) with GMIT Culinary Arts lecturer Maria Conboy.

GMIT Hotel School student Julia Babikova pictured with her "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" novelty cake which won a Gold Medal at IFEX ChefSkills 2012 competitions in Belfast.

Issued by Regina Daly, GMIT Communications & Press Officer, GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway.

0879618355 (m) regina.daly@gmit.ie   www.gmit.ie/news