Otumoetai College students showcase skills at Waikato Culinary competition

A group of Otumoetai College students have shown they know their way around the kitchen taking away top awards at the Waikato Culinary Fare.

The event took place on July 4 and 5 at the Rotokauri Campus Wintec campus in Hamilton.

More than 550 competitors ranging from secondary school and tertiary students to people already in the hospitality industry competed.

A group of students from Otumoetai College were among the competitors, with four girls taking away silver and bronze awards and one student taking out the title of Top of Class in her section.

Student Talise Miller scored a bronze award for a her spinach and cauliflower pasta made from scratch and Alex Higgins took away a silver award for her high-quality Mexican pizza creation.

Anika Stowers also scored highly, receiving a bronze award for her chicken and roast mushroom with spinach pie in the Savoury Pie class.

Eva-Griffin Jones nabbed a silver award and the title of Top of Class for her Vietnamese Pork Belly Bao Buns, also made from scratch.

Otumoetai College's head of department in food technology and hospitality Lauren May said she could not be more proud of the girls and that they worked so hard under such "immense pressure".

The judges were highly impressed with how the students managed to get the dishes made at such a high quality within the hour-timeframe provided, she said.