Two Michelin-starred chef Henrique Sa Pessoa is set to welcome a trio of Loughborough College students to his restaurant in Lisbon after they won top prizes at the prestigious UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year grand final.
Kieran Rudolph, Ryan Archer and Grace McGreal will be travelling to the Portuguese capital for a cultural study tour, including a vineyard and food market visit, and will join Henrique and his team for an entire day in his development kitchen before enjoying an evening meal at Alma, called ‘Lisbon’s best gourmet dining experience’ by Lonely Planet.
Two Hospitality and Catering trios of young chefs and front of house students represented Loughborough College and its Radmoor Restaurant at the 2019 showdown, lining up alongside three other finalist teams from across the country before being announced as winners.
Toby Booty, Finlay Royle and Isabel Morris took the Best Service title and scooped the award for Best Use of Living Ingredients, which will see the students spend three days in Holland with sponsors Koppertcress.
Grace, Kieran and Ryan were awarded Best Menu and the Ignite for Innovation accolades and in addition to their amazing Portugal prize will spend a day with the UK’s representative in the Bocuse D’Or, the world-renowned cooking competition, at Michelin-starred Simpson’s in Birmingham.
With Kieran, Ryan, Isabel and Finlay in the kitchen and Toby and Grace front of house, each of the teams were challenged to cook and serve a Portuguese-themed three-course menu, including pre-arrival cocktail and speciality coffee to finish the meal, and to select a starter and main course wine.
“I am so proud of the teams,” said chef lecturer and hospitality lead at Loughborough College, Darren Creed. “Their hard work and dedication have been rewarded with some truly outstanding prizes.
“For Kieran, Grace and Ryan to be given the opportunity to spend a full day and evening in the development kitchen and restaurant at Alma with Henrique and his team in Lisbon is phenomenal. We have been told that we may even be given the chance to glimpse preparation of Henrique’s signature octopus dish. The students are extremely excited – and so am I !”
Pictured: Loughborough College chefs will be welcomed by the two Michelin-starred Alma restaurant in Portugal after scooping top prizes at the 2019 UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year final (from left) Kieran Rudolph, The Master Chefs of Great Britain’s George McIvor, Grace McGreal, Ryan Archer and Alma’s Henrique Sa Pessoa