College celebrates successful ‘Chefs of the Future’ 2026

Hospitality and Professional Cookery students demonstrated their culinary talents at a ‘Chefs of the Future’ event held at Forth Valley College’s Gallery Restaurant in the Stirling Campus on the evening of Tuesday 10 March.

The event formed part of the Stirling Food Fortnight (1-14 March 2026) which has been organised to celebrate the stories, flavours, and future of Stirling’s food - and is part of the wider Food Drink Tourism Month 2026 https://tinyurl.com/fooddrinktourismmonth26 organised by STEP and Forth Valley Food and Drink - and more events can be found here: Stirling Good Food Fortnight 2026 - Your Stirling.

The evening meal challenge – which was coordinated by STEP and the College's Hospitality Department - was the 11th annual first ‘Chefs of the Future’ competition. Speakers on the night were Vicky Murphy from STEP (HR Director) and Karyn King FVC’s Operations Manager Creative, Digital and Leisure Industries.

STEP is dedicated to supporting businesses and fostering economic growth in the region. Through initiatives like the ‘Chefs of the Future’ competition, STEP aims to bridge the gap between education and industry, creating opportunities for students and local businesses alike.

On the night, students were divided into two teams (Red and Blue), each serving up a delectable three-course meal, and this special invitation-only event gave local employers the chance to sample dishes prepared by hospitality students and meet the next generation of culinary talent.

Chef Lecturers Mandy Fraser and Rufaro Saunyama helped the teams in the kitchen. The Red Team were: Tyler Allan, Robbie Stoddart, Mckenzie Macfarline, Josh Barker and Adrian Zanders. The Blue Team were: Cara Couper, Eve Christie, Harrison Firth, Ewan Mcilwrath and Alistar McKenna.

Lecturer Chris Nixon supervised the front of house serving team which consisted of first year HND Hospitality Management students Andrew Henderson, Cerys McQuillian, Aimee-Louise Swanston, Daniel Waddel and Alicia Watson.

The event celebrated the skills and creativity of the College's aspiring chefs, while fostering connections with local businesses, and representatives from a range of local hospitality establishments were in attendance. 

The challenge menu included:

Starter – Salmon
Main – Duck
Dessert – Cheesecake

Despite working with the same ingredients, both teams produced completely different dishes, highlighting their imagination, technical ability, and teamwork in the kitchen. The guests certainly had a difficult job deciding on a winner!

In the end the Red Team pipped the Blue Team to the victory.

The ‘Chefs of the Future’ competition provided a platform for students to demonstrate their culinary skills and highlighted the importance of collaboration between education and industry.

The event also showcased local produce and encouraged businesses to sign up to Forth Valley Five, a local food and drink pledge campaign. The seaweed butter tasters provided by @scottishseaweed were a huge hit with guests and set the tone for the delicious dishes that followed.

Paul Cunningham, Curriculum Manager in Hospitality at Forth Valley College, said: "We are once again thrilled with the success of this event and proud of our students' achievements. The standard of cooking was of a very high standard and was a fantastic experience for our students, allowing them to gain valuable feedback from industry professionals and build relationships with local businesses.

“The "Chefs of the Future" event was an evening of culinary excellence, with each team presenting their unique menus for guests to judge. Attendees enjoyed an array of innovative dishes, showcasing the students' dedication and passion for the culinary arts. It was a resounding success."

For more information about STEP visit: https://stepscotland.co.uk/step/