Ayr College chefs in medal haul at Nations Cup

Nov 13 2009 by Stuart Wilson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

COLLEGE chefs have now conquered the world after a mouthwatering cooking mission abroad.

Ayr students Iona Kan and Stuart Ritchie returned from Cooking’s Nations Cup with 12 medals between them.

And their proud lecturer has hailed the achievement as the best ever for Ayr College.

Iona and Stuart are now rated among the world’s top young cooks after their outstanding effort.

The pair wowed judges in the USA when cooking against teams from around the world.

Stuart, 19, revealed: “It all comes down to organisation – as long as you do your preparation the rest takes care of itself.

“We were cooking for a lot of people but never let the pressure get to us.”

The college duo had qualified to represent Scotland in the competition after coming through heats earlier this year.

And they rose to the challenge in Michigan, cooking for 110 people at a grand dinner.

They came come with six medals each, clocking up six golds, two silvers and four bronze.

Medal winner Iona, 17, admitted: “I’ve always loved cooking from a young age.

“Hopefully I can travel the world and work in restaurants after something like this.”

The pair are star pupils in the Ayr College hospitality department, working on the professional cookery course.

Lecturer Norman Robertson, who travelled with his students to the States, insists the medal haul under lines the college’s growing reputation.

He said: “I’m very proud of Iona and Stuart as this is a tremendous achievement for both them and the college.

“They did a marvellous job in flying the flag for Scotland and the Federation of Chefs for Scotland.

“We’ve had good achievements in the past when winning competitions here in the UK, but this is a real breakthrough to do it on the world stage.

“It’s definitely the biggest moment to date and the kids deserve real praise.”