WestKing win the John Retallick Memorial Trophy after incredible success at International Salon Culiniare

After topping the medal table at the International Salon Culinaire, WestKing has taken home the John Retallick Memorial Trophy.

Westminster Kingsway College (WestKing) students displayed exceptional skills and knowledge at the International Salon Culinaire in London, outshining colleges from across the UK to win the John Retallick Memorial Trophy.

The International Salon Culinaire is one of the most prestigious chef competitions in the world, providing a platform for chefs of all levels, from aspiring trainees to experienced and established professionals. The three-day event formed part of Hotel, Restaurant and Catering (HRC), an enormous UK hospitality business event and exhibition which ran during Food, Drink and Hospitality Week at ExCel London.

This year’s International Salon Culinaire took place from 25 March to 27 March at ExCel London and included over 120 different competitions, giving chefs of varying levels of skills and experience the opportunity to showcase their talents. 

The competitions fell into one of four different categories: Live Theatre, Salon Display, Skills Theatre and Sugarcraft.

• Live Theatre featured eight fully equipped workstations where competitors participated in a series of thrilling live competitions
• Salon Display incorporated a visually stunning array of competition pieces where participants demonstrated their culinary art skills using a variety of mediums. For this category, entrants brought their fully prepared finished dishes to the event for presentation
• Skills Theatre featured the Salon’s Skills Competitions tailored to aspiring chefs and culinary students. These challenges offered less experienced chefs the perfect platform to showcase their talents and refine essential skills
• Sugarcraft allowed skilled sugar and cake artisans to demonstrate their artistic flair in thrilling decorating competitions

Westminster Kingsway College’s (WestKing) School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality was incredibly well-represented at the International Salon Culinaire, with 102 students taking part and some students entering multiple classes. Students benefited by gaining competition experience as well as invaluable feedback from industry experts which will help guide them as they move into their careers. The event also gave students the opportunity to meet key figures, network with industry professionals and watch both their current classmates and former WestKing students in action.

The students who attended and competed came from a range of Culinary Arts and Hospitality courses including:

• Professional Chef – Level 2 Diploma
• Patisserie and Confectionery – Level 3 Professional Chef Diploma
• Commis Chef – Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
• Chef de Partie – Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• Customer Service Principles – Level 2 Certificate
• Food and Beverage Service Supervision (Restaurant Management) – Level 3 Diploma

At the end of the competitions, the team from WestKing has amassed an impressive haul of medals which included 18 Gold medals, 58 Silver medals, 14 Bronze medals and 12 Certificate of Merits. As a result of their incredible success, the college was awarded The John Retallick Memorial Trophy, a unique award presented to the college that leads the medal table at the end of the International Salon Culinaire.

A lecturer from WestKing was also awarded the accolade of Outstanding Support Mentor. Steve Oram, who teaches the Apprenticeship and RACA (Royal Academy of Culinary Arts) courses, was recognised for his efforts in helping students develop their skills and expertise.

Sharon Barry, Head of School Culinary Arts Apprenticeships and Adults, said: “We are so proud of the achievements of all the learners who have participated in the HRC competition. The teaching team and the learners have put a huge amount of hard work into preparing for these and the results are an amazing achievement and representation of the hard work and continued progress and development of the learners.”  

Paul Jervis, Head of Hospitality and Culinary Arts at WestKing said: “Competitions give our learners a unique opportunity to showcase their skills in a different and challenging environment. I am incredibly proud of the work both the staff and students put into The HRC show, and their efforts were reflected by the exceptional haul of medals and awards.”

We offer an exceptional range of Culinary Arts and Hospitality courses and Catering and Hospitality Apprenticeships. Apply Now and take the next step towards an exciting new course!

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