Wanganui chef Carla Russell, who turned 20 on Friday, received an unexpected and early celebration gift the night before ? a gold medal for being first equal in the SkillEX cookery competition in Auckland.
The 2003 Wanganui Ucol Catering and Hospitality Diploma graduate told the Chronicle, she couldn't believe her win,
especially as it was the eve of her birthday: "It's amazing."
Cooking had been her passion since early childhood, and even though she is now second chef at the Avenue Hotel, it is still her main hobby.
"My nanas and my mother all enjoy cooking, and an aunt is a trained chef. We just love cooking."
During the three-day competition, she had to create an entree and dessert, then a three-course meal from a surprise list of ingredients given on the first day. Her award-winning meal, of dishes she had never made before, consisted of a fresh seafood terrine, macadamia stuffed pork loin and a lemon-and-lime meringue pie.
Ms Russell, who last year studied in Switzerland under Wanganui Ucol's Catering School's Swiss exchange scheme, hopes to eventually have her own cafe/wine bar.
A member of the Central Region SkillEX team, she also was not the only Wanganui entrant to bring back a medal.
Morgan Hunter, a Wanganui Ucol first-year Diploma of Information and Communications Technology student, received a silver medal for coming second in the IT Business Solutions competition.
The team's Jamie McRae, of Dannevirke, received a bronze medal, coming third in the welding section, and in the light fabrication section Ross Anderson, of Palmerston North, and Damian McKay, of Hastings, came first equal while Ryan Badger, of Palmerston North, was third.
It is the first time the Central Region has entered a SkillEX team, and its manager Tim Snape of Wanganui Ucol described the result as awesome.
Winners from the national competition in each of the 18 trades represented in SkillEX have the opportunity to compete in the 2005 International WorldSkills competition in Helsinki, Finland, providing certain criteria are met.
The competitions are designed to test and encourage young people from all trades to exceed industry standards and become the best in their field. Competitors must be 21 or younger and in training or have trained and be working in industry.
The competition is held throughout New Zealand every two years.
