Clean sweep of medals for UCB at Salon Culinaire

UCB students have returned from North Warwickshire and Hinckley College’s Salon Culinaire competition with a grand total of ten certificates and medals across nine different categories.

From show-stopping celebration cakes to sophisticated cocktails and coffee, students from both FE and HE hospitality and bakery courses emerged triumphant in the national competition involving ten colleges from across the country, and 144 competitors overall.

“It felt amazing when I saw the silver medal by my name,” said Level 2 Food and Beverage student Megan Mannion, who won second place in the Salon’s Table Setting category. “I thought I had done badly because of how great everyone else’s tables looked, so it was a really nice surprise.”

The competition has become a prominent event for colleges in the West Midlands and beyond to put rising student stars in the hospitality, cheffing and bakery industries on the map. Among the panel of judges was TV chef and presenter Joe Hurd, who has made regular appearances on ITV’s The Munch Box and BBC 1’s Saturday Kitchen.

Here’s the list of proud UCB winners: 

• Brett McSkimming – Certificate of Merit for Cocktails and Coffee 
• Carla Baranowski – Silver Award for Napkin Folding
• Megan Mannion – Silver Award for Themed Table 
• Jay James – Bronze Award for Drinks Service 
• Aminah Laing – Silver Award for Flambé Dessert 
• Ryan Dean Averill – Bronze Award for Main Course Flambé
• Ryan Evans – Gold Award for Bread
• Piper Ayres – Bronze Award for Celebration Cake 
• Vicki Ingram – Silver Award for Victoria Sponge