A showcase of years of hard work and creativity is on the menu when the final-year BA (Hons) in Culinary Arts students from Waterford Institute of Technology
take over the kitchen of Bellissimo restaurant in Waterford for four unmissable nights from 24-27 March 2020.
The 12 students have created tasting menus with a strong focus on exceptional local produce and will be working the kitchen at the event in a variety of roles, from head chef to pastry specialist.
Tickets are €60 each for a six-course tasting menu and booking is at www.cheftakeover.com.
Among the 12 are a number of students who went to school locally. They include two Abbey Community College, Ferrybank past pupils Tom Phelan and Michaela Quigley, Saoirse Mooney from Tramore, Aine Brennan, and Hanna Mathe who recently returned from the 45th International Worldskills competition in Russia, where she represented Ireland in Cookery against 46 other countries and won a medal of excellence.
This event is presented by WIT, Pallas Foods and ABP in partnership with Bellissimo restaurant.
It aims to highlight how creative and rewarding a career as a chef can be.
One of the key driving forces behind this event is Tony McMahon, owner and restaurateur, Bellissimo Waterford.
He believes there is no better way to address the challenges in the industry than with "the people who will form its future,
the young talented chefs and front of house staff that we need to encourage to take on the responsibility with passion."
Michael Quinn - a full-time lecturer at WIT and a renowned chef in his own right - has been working closely with his final year BA (Hons) in Culinary Arts students on their Chef Takeover preparations.
A multi-award winner with more than 22 years' experience, voted Best Chef of the year in 2012 by the Restaurant Association of Ireland.
Since then Quinn has moved on to become a full-time lecturer at WIT.
"Our students have used everything they've learned throughout their four year to pair mouth-watering ingredients, combining theory, practice, creativity and a phenomenal sense of adventure along the way. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the best of Irish produce curated by the best of Irish student culinary talent."
