Ākonga take Silver and Bronze at Culinary Fare

An annual culinary competition has inspired the next generation of budding chefs. 

Six Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology ākonga competed against more than 500 students from across the motu at the Waikato Culinary Fare, walking away with a selection of bronze and silver medals. 

The Waikato Culinary Fare is a Wintec event, in partnership with Cater Plus, that features static and live food events. Intermediate and high school students compete for the highest scores which see their entries achieve gold, silver or bronze awards.

The event has grown to become the largest regional competition of its type in New Zealand, with this year’s competition being the biggest in its 19-year history.

Toi Ohomai Culinary Arts tutor David Collier-Baker says he took his Secondary Tertiary Programme class to the annual event, and this was the third time he had taken ākonga along to compete.  

The Toi Ohomai Secondary Tertiary Programme (STP) offers high school students a first taste of an industry they are interested in. 

David says his ākonga performed exceptionally well, especially since it was their first time in a competitive kitchen environment. 

He says lots of planning goes into what the students will make on the day, and they are able to practice while on campus as part of their STP course. 

Chloe Young-Gunn, 16, who attends Western Heights High School, says she was excited to be able to walk away with both a Silver and a Bronze medal. 

“I got a silver for my café cake, which was a Hummingbird cake, and I got a bronze for my tiramisu cupcakes. 

“I chose flavours that my family enjoys,” she says. 

Chloe says the competition was a great experience and like nothing she had experienced before, adding to her drive to become a chef. 

“I want to continue my studies at Toi Ohomai and do the Bakery/Patisserie course.” 

She hopes the course will enable her to travel the world. 

“I’d love to be able to be a private chef on a superyacht.”  

Putaruru College’s Poppi Gordon also took home a silver medal for her chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel filling. 

“The competition was pretty big, it was quite intimidating. I was stoked to win silver.”

Poppi says she enjoys baking and was relishing her course at Toi Ohomai.  

“It’s been great. It’s a good introduction to cookery and becoming a chef.” 

The Waikato Culinary Fare is made possible by the support of the event sponsors and the wider hospitality industry. This event allows emerging hospitality stars to compete, gaining valuable skills and experience. It is also an opportunity for the hospitality industry to come together under one roof, celebrating the sector.

Toi Ohomai ākonga:

Phoebe Gibbons, 16
Putaruru College
Bronze

Floydd White, 15
Putaruru College
Bronze

Carl Sobrepena, 18
Tokoroa High School
Bronze

Abbie Yang, 17
Western Heights High School
Bronze

Chloe Young-Gunn, 16
Western Heights High School
Silver and Bronze

Poppi Gordon, 16
Putaruru College
Silver

Pictured: (Back row from left) Floydd White, David Collier-Baker and Phoebe Gibbons.
(Front row from left) Poppi Gordon, Chloe Young-Gunn, Carl Sobrepena and Abbie Yang.