Tracey Nolan, a Waterford IT student, originally from Kilkenny, and working in Kilkenny’s Zuni restaurant, has fended off tough competition to scoop a coveted gold medal in the Culinary Arts competition, at the Association of European Hotel and Tourism Schools (AEHT ) Annual Conference and Competitions.
With more than 800 students and lecturers from 40 countries around Europe participating in the Netherlands, Team Ireland, which consisted of five Irish students studying Fáilte Ireland funded and developed programmes in colleges around Ireland, competed with some of Europe’s best to win the association’s biggest prize.
Representing Team Ireland at the competition were students; Gold medal winner, Tracey Nolan, Culinary Arts student at WIT; Joe Mc Glynn, culinary arts participant, Tourism College Killybegs, LKIT; Martina O'Brien, restaurant service participant, Cork Institute of Technology; Emma O’Loghlen, pastry participant, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology; and Anne Marie Butler, pastry participant, Cork Institute of Technology.
Paul Murphy, Fáilte Ireland’s education officer, who participated as a judge for the competitions, said: “Fáilte Ireland would like to congratulate gold medal winner Tracey Nolan, from Kilkenny, and indeed all who represented Team Ireland at this year’s annual conference and competitions which is now in its 25th year. This is Ireland’s third gold in four years and highlights the high standards of tourism and hospitality training and education here in Ireland.
“The AEHT is all about bringing students and lecturers from all over Europe together to participate and work as part of multi-cultural teams. As well as the obvious student development benefits, the competition also promotes team work and breaks down cultural barriers, key skills needed for working in today’s modern tourism and hospitality industry.”
