A culinary student from Banbury and Bicester College was crowned the winner at the British Culinary Federation’s Student of the Year Awards.
Josh Zitha, who studies Advanced Professional Cookery at Banbury and Bicester College, was announced the winner at the competition, which took place at University College Birmingham, on 27 May.
The British Culinary Federation Student Chef of the Year is an annual competition that celebrates the next generation of culinary talent.
This year, finalists were required to produce a three course menu for two covers in two hours, consisting of a starter suitable for vegetarians, a main course using fish and a dessert of their choice.
As well as being named Student Chef of the Year, Josh also won the award for Best Starter, which was an extra element added to the competition this year alongside Best Main Course and Best Dessert.
As part of his prize, Josh received a range of culinary equipment and Banbury and Bicester College was presented with an R2 cutting machine from Robot Coupe.
Josh Zitha said: “A big thanks to my family for the support and my chef mentors, they played a tremendous role in me getting this far.
“Being crowned Student Young Chef is something special and it is a very humbling experience. A lot of work goes into it and when it all comes together, it’s motivation to keep creating with purpose and pursuing excellence.”
Matthew Bee, Professional Culinary Arts teacher at Activate Learning, said: “I am extremely proud of our student Josh for winning this competition. He has shown real dedication, putting in countless hours of preparation, completing many practice attempts, and continuously refining his work while taking on board feedback. His commitment and attitude have truly paid off—well done Josh.”
