John Bland and Stacey McCan students, have good reason to be toasting the Hawke's Bay Salon Culinaire's upcoming 10th anniversary.
Bland and McCan were both awarded gold in the hospitality industry's regional competition for students, although in different years.
The former EIT students have even more in common. They are now a couple, having met through working at the Clive Hotel restaurant, where Bland is head chef and McCan front of house.
As a second-year Diploma in Professional Chef Practice student, Bland was a ring-in in the 2015 Salon Culinaire competition, having been asked to join the EIT hospitality team when another trainee chef called in sick.
He had little notice to prepare - the competition was the next day. He threw himself into learning the team's recipes and drew on the skills, techniques and presentation ideas acquired in class.