Eastleigh and City of Portsmouth College Hospitality and Catering learners put on an ‘impressive display’ in, what was for many, a first experience of competitive cooking. In addition to the four gold medals, Eastleigh College learners took home eight silver and four bronze medals, as well as a ‘Best-in-Class’ accolade for learner Mia.

A varied range of main course dishes and street food was on display, showcasing real depth and diversity in culinary skills and the judges were quick to praise the strong standard of cooking among competitors. All learners had 60 minutes to create their meal from scratch for the judges.

The Major series is one of the longest running young chef competitions in the UK and provides learners of all skill level ranges with a taste of a competitive environment. Heats are taking place before a finalist showdown in London in the Spring.

This year’s winner will get a Michelin-starred meal for themselves and a plus one in their local area. They will also be invited to the Major headquarters in Milton Keynes where they will have the opportunity to participate in a special two-day culinary flavour discovery session.

The Hospitality and Catering team at Eastleigh College commented: “All of the tutors here are proud of the students’ hard work and commitment leading up to the competition and their professionalism, team spirit and support for each other today. For many of them this is their first competition and they have all done incredibly well and this has really motivated and boosted their confidence.”