Wild Food Adventure for Grace at UK Finals

SERC is delighted that one of our budding chefs has made it to the final of a prestigious UK-wide competition.  

Grace Dugan, studying the Higher-Level Apprenticeship in Culinary Arts at the college’s Bangor Campus, has been announced as one of only six finalists in the Eat Wild Young Chef Competition. Grace, who is 20 and from Belfast, is employed by The Culloden Hotel and has been studying at SERC for four years since starting on a Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery. 

The Eat Wild Young Chef competition aims to spotlight the UK’s most promising young culinary talent and champion the use of wild meat in modern cooking. To be selected for the finals, Grace had to submit photographs and details of two original dishes using wild meat only – one bar snack/street food dish and one comfort/everyday meal. The combination which caught the eye of the judges was a venison hotdog with smoked venison heart, and a main course using roast pheasant with lentils and game jus.  Grace will now travel to London for the final, where she will cook her dishes at Unilever House.  

As a finalist, Grace has already won a three-year membership of the Craft Guild of Chefs, and her trip this week will include a tour of the Oakland Park game processing plant, followed by a wild meat lunch before the contest begins.  

Ian Page, from the Craft Guild of Chefs, commented, 

“The standard of entries this year was exceptional — every dish showed great creativity, skill, and passion for working with wild ingredients. Your dishes really stood out, and you should be incredibly proud of this achievement. Reaching the final is a huge milestone and a true reflection of your talent and potential as a young chef.” 

The overall winner will get a day in the kitchen with Mark Kempson of Kitchen W8 in London, during game season. They will also receive dinner for four people at Kitchen W8, alongside other prizes.  

The hospitality team and the wider SERC community wish Grace the very best for the finals.