AIT student wins Knorr Chef of the Year
A student of Athlone Institute of Technology, Maria Dunne, has been crowned the winner of the Knorr Professional Student Chef of the Year 2020.
After a long day and a two-hour cook-off, Maria emerged victorious in this year's event hosted by TU Dublin - Tallaght Campus on Tuesday March 10.
Maria was one of eight students competing in this year's competition from various third-level institutions across the island of Ireland.
The theme, ‘2020 The Future of Foods’, was based on how new emerging food trends such as plant-based diets and lifestyles are changing and evolving food and our relationship with food.
The eight student chefs were challenged with plating up two dishes within two hours, all inspired by 2020 food trends. Each dish had to include a minimum of two Knorr Professional Products and two Future 50 Foods from the Knorr Professional Future 50 report.
Maria stunned the judges with her dishes and her application of sustainability and local ingredients to produce her starter and main course.
For her starter, using ingredients from Knorr and those she foraged herself from An Ghrian Glas Farm near Ballymore in County Westmeath, she created her own take on garlic mushrooms with a garlic purée and foraged greens.
Her main course comprised confit ling, Dunany organic spelt, cauliflower purée, lemon foam, wakame and An Ghrian Glas Farm greens.
Maria was commended by the judges for her display of creativity and sustainability in the kitchen.
Speaking after her win, she said: “It’s such an honour to receive this award. This competition gives chefs of the future a platform to make a name for ourselves before heading out to the workforce. Everyone did so well today and it was amazing to compete against my fellow peers. I want to thank everyone for the opportunity, especially my lecturers.”
Maria's impressive menu won her a set of professional knives and the opportunity to experience a sustainable restaurant first-hand.
The judging panel consisted of Audrey Crone, executive chef, Unilever Food Solutions; Darina Brennan, group executive chef of Dalata Hotel Group; Annette Sweeney, co-ordinator of the culinary arts programmes at TU Dublin - Tallaght Campus; Niall Hill, chef and food consultant; and Dee Laffan, food journalist, as special guest judge.
In second and third place respectively were Ciara Kenneally from Limerick Institute of Technology and Stephen Halford from TU Dublin - Tallaght Campus.
This was the 23rd year of the Knorr Professional Student Chef competition, providing an important showcase for aspiring student chefs to demonstrate their talents.