TUS Student Chef takes Silver at National Knorr Chef of the Year Competition

TUS Second Year student chef Kieran Bolger has won silver at the prestigious Knorr Student Chef of the Year Competition 2024.

The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) BA Culinary Arts student beat off stiff competition from six other university students to take second place at the national finals held in MTU Cork.

In its 26^th year, the 2024 Knorr competition was based on the theme “Modernised Comfort Food’’. Students were tasked with creating a two-course meal, main course and desert, that provides nostalgic or sentimental appeal but with a modern twist. 

Kieran, who is from Dooradoyle in Limerick, has been working in restaurants since he was 16 years old and opted for the practical learning environment of the TUS culinary arts BA on the Moylish Campus to hone his skills.

He has ambitions of travelling on graduation, with an aim to broaden his culinary experience even further.

Congratulating Kieran and his mentors, TUS lecturers and chefs Eithne Gavigan and Jim O’Meara, on their success Head of Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness June O’Byrne Prior said, “So much work goes into preparing for a competition like this, and I’d like to acknowledge all those extra hours put in by both the students and mentors in our kitchens over these past months. We are very proud of Kieran’s success and the work and support of his TUS team mate – first year student Yeshua O’Brien Bayer, who was also a finalist in this hotly contested competition.”

Chef Gavigan added, “Opportunities like these offer our students a platform to showcase their creativity, highlight their skills and build confidence in their abilities. We are very proud of Kieran and the other competitors who worked hard to design and deliver a comfort food menu that concentrated on vegetable use, while also having a strong awareness of reducing food waste.  They not only met these challenges, but exceeded all expectations with a strong, award winning menu.”