Luton student chef up against professionals twice his age reaches competition final

A student chef from Luton has seen off competition from experienced professionals to make the final of a competition.

Daniel Begley, 18, has won through to the final eight of a Lumina New Zealand Lamb Challenge against 196 full-time professional chefs – some twice his age.

Daniel studies at Central Beds College – and works at the White Horse, St Albans, when not studying for his Level 3 (A-level equivalent) courses. He hopes one day to live up to his hero celebrity chef Marcus Wareing.

Chef lecturer Andrew Cluskey: “It is an outstanding achievement for one so young, he is a great example of what can be achieved when someone finds their calling.”

Meanwhile, the catering team at Central Beds College is set to be recognised at the annual meeting of Craft Guild of Chefs in London on April 23.

Andrew Cluskey and his team will receive a special award in recognition of service given by the college to the catering industry and its continued success in preparing young people to work in the hospitality business.

Central Beds College has professional standard kitchens and equipment and hosts a range of events including the British Culinary Championships to be held at the Kingsway campus, Dunstable, in May.

The college also hosts various professional and charity dinner events, giving students valuable live work experience.

Andrew said: “This is very much a team effort and I am delighted that our staff are being recognised for the work they do in preparing our own students for the world of work, and in hosting top quality events which showcase the best the industry has to offer.”

Vice principal, Karyn Godfrey, said: “We are always hearing that there is a massive demand for chefs and trained catering staff from the hospitality industry and we have 45 full-time students here being ‘prepped’ to step up to those roles.”

Head of catering, Vasileios Fragkakis, added: “We’re rightly proud of our team here at Central Beds College and look forward to them being recognised by the Craft Guild of Chefs in April and to hosting the British Culinary Championship in May. It shows that Central Beds College is in prime place on the menu when students are making career choices.”