We're thrilled to share that a wonderful team from New College Durham has made it to the national final of the Zest Quest Asia Competition!
Zest Quest Asia is an exciting competition open to all college students enrolled in a full-time, recognised catering course. This team challenge is all about showcasing a student competitor’s skills, creativity, and passion for Asian cuisine. The winning team will enjoy an incredible opportunity to embark on a culinary study tour to an Asian destination!
Meet Our Amazing Team
Emily – Sheila North
A Level 2 Patisserie student here at NCD, Emily is really excited about taking part in the competition and is looking forward to the challenge of being confident with different cuisines and styles of dishes. She also said: "I hope this experience will help me improve my teamwork and communication skills, which are essential for achieving our goals. Plus, Zest Quest Asia offers a fantastic variety of authentic foods from Asian countries, which are vibrant, flavourful, and full of creative cooking methods. I can’t wait to bring that to the table with my team!"
Emily's future ambition is to own her very own bakery business, creating unique treats that are not just delicious but also visually stunning.
William Yardy
William is currently studying Level 2 Pro Cookery and admits to being almost overwhelmed to have been chosen to represent my college. He is eager to participate in Zest Quest Asia because of his deep passion for Asian culture and cuisine. William added: "The vibrant flavours, diverse ingredients, and rich culinary traditions from various countries have always fascinated me. I truly believe that food is a wonderful way to understand and appreciate a culture, and through this competition, I’m excited to dive deeper into the world of Asian culinary arts."
Ho Chun Wong (Morgan)
'Morgan' studied Level 1 Pro Cookery last year and has now progressed to Level 2 Pro Cookery. Delighted at being selected, he said: "I’m so grateful to my tutor, Kevin, for selecting me to represent my college in this competition. I come from Hong Kong which has a rich variety of Asian foods. While the dishes are fascinating, eating the same things every day can get a bit boring, and that’s why I started learning to cook! Sometimes my experiments taste a little unusual, and I might have the occasional mishap, but that won’t stop me from exploring new recipes. I’m excited to blend both Asian and other culinary cultures together!"
Their tutor Kevin Roxby added:
“My team have worked extremely hard over the past few months fine tuning their menu, I am proud of how they have come together working as a team for the Zest Quest Asia competition, while also honing their own skills on Asian cuisine, and developing new skills, I am confident that they will be very strong in the competition, and will proudly represent New College Durham’s Hospitality and Catering Department.