NCL students compete for a taste of Italy

A New College Lanarkshire culinary student has won a place at a prestigious London final, admitting she almost didn't believe she could do it.

Chelsea Brown, who was competing against fellow NCL students KerryAnn Green and Adonis Garcia, was crowned winner of the Italian Salumi UK Contest at the college on May 7. She now heads to the national grand final in London, where the title of Best Young Chef for Italian Cured Meats will be awarded.

Chelsea said: "I'm a lot more capable than I thought. I wasn't too happy with my dish at the end, so to hear them say nice things about it and have it win was really encouraging."

Making the moment even more special, Chelsea's mum had quietly taken a seat in the audience without her daughter knowing she was there.

Chelsea added: "Me and my mom are really close, she's always encouraged me with this, so it was really nice for her to be there and sneak in without me knowing!"

The three students were each challenged to create an original dish using premium Italian PDO and PGI cured meats, judged on technical skill, creativity and presentation in front of an audience of industry professionals.

The expert panel included Herald food and drink writer Sarah Campbell, Scottish influencer Lauren Doran, chef proprietor of Locanda de Gusti Rosario Sartore, and ASSICA's Giovanni Facchini.

Principal Professor Christopher Moore said: "These students are brilliant ambassadors. They cope brilliantly under pressure and they do a truly important job, feeding and looking after the people of Lanarkshire and beyond."

The contest is part of a UK-wide initiative led by the Italian Trade Agency in collaboration with ASSICA, now in its second year, aimed at promoting Italian cured meats among the next generation of British chefs while encouraging cultural exchange and respect for culinary tradition.

Giovanni Facchini of ASSICA said: "Seeing the commitment and determination of young students in the UK to promote Italian salumi products is the best outcome we could have hoped for."

The event was hosted by Giovanna Eusebi of Eusebi Deli, a Glasgow-based ambassador for Italian cuisine in Scotland.