Awards for Whanganui cookery students

UCOL Whanganui cookery students ahead of the Taranaki Hospitality Competitions in New Plymouth.

UCOL Whanganui Cookery students have had a strong showing at the Taranaki Hospitality Competitions, winning four classes.

All eight UCOL students who entered the May 27 competitions in New Plymouth walked away with medals in trainee chef categories. 

Class winners included Sophie Couper (Celebration Cake), Alicia Te Mana (Soup), Kataraina Hurinui (Pasta), and Sueanne Hasler (Cheesecake).

This was the first time UCOL students had entered the competitions since 2015. 

Cookery Lecturer Gina Guigou says she is proud of what her students have achieved and how they jumped at the opportunity to test their skills. 

“These students are really engaged. They drove the preparation for the competitions, and they put in a lot of additional hours outside of class.” 

Gina says these kind of competitions not only test students’ cooking and baking skills against their peers, but they also help them build confidence.

“For me it was about seeing what the students can achieve, so that they can overcome other obstacles that might come their way. It was also an opportunity for them to do something outside of Whanganui.”

Student Sophie Couper (former WHS student) says the competition was a “crazy, stressful, and cool experience”, after she spent three days baking and constructing her winning wedding cake. 

Sophie has been running her own cake business for the past year, but the three-tier cake she entered in the competition is her biggest so far.

UCOL students’ results:
Kataraina Hurinui - Gold medal and class winner - Pasta; Bronze Medal - Cupcakes
Alicia Te Mana - Gold medal and class winner – Soup; Merit award - Cheesecake 
Sueanne Hasler - Gold medal and class winner - Cheesecake 
Sophie Couper - Silver medal and class winner - Celebration Cake
Nicholas Hinga - Silver Medal - Soup; Bronze medal - Cheese Omelette 
Isaac Chase-Whareaorere - Bronze medal- Cafe Breakfast
Duy Do - Bronze medal - Cafe breakfast
Gurkirat Singh - Bronze medal - Cheese Omelette

 River City Press 6/6/19