Paisley student competes in prestigious cooking competition in Venice
It was ready steady cook for one Paisley student after he made the final of a prestigious competition.
James McKay of the West College Scotland Paisley campus travelled to Italy last month to take part in the Unox Cookery Competition at the company's headquarters in Venice.
The event saw college students from across the UK compete in an online cookery quiz over several months via the Unox app.
The top ten students earned a coveted place in the grand final in Venice, where they faced a three-hour challenge to create a two-course meal using the Unox oven.
Each finalist was also tasked with incorporating two mystery ingredients into their meals – lemongrass for the main and cinnamon for the dessert.
James, along with Greenock campus student Pawel Martynk, represented West College Scotland (WCS). It was a close and fierce contest but James was pipped by Pawel to the top spot.
However, the Paisley student maintained that although he never won, getting to meet people within the industry as well as experiencing the city of Venice was wonderful.
He said: 'I really enjoyed going and competing in the Combiguru competition. I managed to meet new people and it helped with my experience in cooking.
'The people that ran the day were so nice and helpful, and I also got a lovely tour around Venice. I would highly recommend anyone to do it.'
As the overall winner, Pawel received a professional set of chef's knives, a place on an exclusive bread and pizza-making course, and a state-of-the-art Unox oven for the Greenock campus—prizes totalling nearly £10,000.
Chris Watson, curriculum quality leader for hospitality at WCS praised both students.
'I was delighted for both students to be representing the college at an international level,' he said. 'It was a great achievement even just making the finals in Venice.
'The competition was fierce, and it was testament to Pawel that he managed to come out on top. This is an annual event and I hope this result will inspire next year's intake to take part and hopefully succeed once again.'
Jim McAllister, head of languages, business and leisure industries at the college, added: 'This is the second year in a row we have won this open competition.
'Another huge effort from the regional hospitality teaching staff, bringing success to WCS in an international arena. Special thanks to Chris for working with and encouraging staff and students to give up their time and energy in these endeavours.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
4 days ago
- Reuters
Poland last on list for US troop cuts in Europe, Polish defence ministry says
WARSAW, July 31 (Reuters) - Poland, Ukraine's western neighbour, is expected to be the last country in Europe to face U.S. troop reductions, Poland's top defence official said, as Washington weighs scaling back its military presence across the continent. The prospect of a U.S. troop drawdown in Europe has been a recurring topic since the start of Donald Trump's presidency, when Washington began pressing allies to shoulder more of the defence burden. "All the conversations we have with the Americans indicate that Poland is the last country from which the Americans would want to withdraw (its troops)," Deputy Defence Minister Pawel Zalewski told Reuters in an interview on Thursday. Zalewski said there is a strategic rationale for the presence of American troops in Poland, on NATO's eastern flank, to serve as a deterrent against Russia after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Zalewski said Poland is seeking to be the hub of the U.S. presence in Europe, potentially serving as a logistics, service or even production centre for the U.S. defence industry. "We are talking about the upgrade of F-16 aircraft or a service centre for all types of American combat vehicles, including Abrams tanks," he said. While Germany played such a role during the Cold War, he said it was logical for countries closer to the conflict in Ukraine to be the base for U.S. and allied military operations. Poland has ramped up defence spending and accelerated efforts to modernise its military, becoming NATO's top spender on defence in terms of the proportion of its national wealth. As the largest buyer of U.S. weapons in Europe, according to the Polish defence ministry, the country is positioning itself as a key player in the face of an assertive Russia. The arsenal includes Abrams tanks, HIMARS rocket systems, and air defence assets like the Patriot missile system, modern F-16 and F-35 fighter jets and Apache helicopters. As a leading voice calling for members of NATO to spend more on defence, Poland, which borders Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, has allocated 4.7% of gross domestic product to boosting its armed forces in 2025 with a pledge to increase to 5% in 2026.
Daily Record
23-05-2025
- Daily Record
Paisley student competes in prestigious cooking competition in Venice
James McKay of the West College Scotland Paisley campus travelled to Italy last month to take part in the Unox Cookery Competition. It was ready steady cook for one Paisley student after he made the final of a prestigious competition. James McKay of the West College Scotland Paisley campus travelled to Italy last month to take part in the Unox Cookery Competition at the company's headquarters in Venice. The event saw college students from across the UK compete in an online cookery quiz over several months via the Unox app. The top ten students earned a coveted place in the grand final in Venice, where they faced a three-hour challenge to create a two-course meal using the Unox oven. Each finalist was also tasked with incorporating two mystery ingredients into their meals – lemongrass for the main and cinnamon for the dessert. James, along with Greenock campus student Pawel Martynk, represented West College Scotland (WCS). It was a close and fierce contest but James was pipped by Pawel to the top spot. However, the Paisley student maintained that although he never won, getting to meet people within the industry as well as experiencing the city of Venice was wonderful. He said: 'I really enjoyed going and competing in the Combiguru competition. I managed to meet new people and it helped with my experience in cooking. 'The people that ran the day were so nice and helpful, and I also got a lovely tour around Venice. I would highly recommend anyone to do it.' As the overall winner, Pawel received a professional set of chef's knives, a place on an exclusive bread and pizza-making course, and a state-of-the-art Unox oven for the Greenock campus—prizes totalling nearly £10,000. Chris Watson, curriculum quality leader for hospitality at WCS praised both students. 'I was delighted for both students to be representing the college at an international level,' he said. 'It was a great achievement even just making the finals in Venice. 'The competition was fierce, and it was testament to Pawel that he managed to come out on top. This is an annual event and I hope this result will inspire next year's intake to take part and hopefully succeed once again.' Jim McAllister, head of languages, business and leisure industries at the college, added: 'This is the second year in a row we have won this open competition. 'Another huge effort from the regional hospitality teaching staff, bringing success to WCS in an international arena. Special thanks to Chris for working with and encouraging staff and students to give up their time and energy in these endeavours.'
Reuters
27-03-2025
- Reuters
Canadian crude exporters are unintended recipients of Trump bump: Bousso
LONDON, March 27 - Canadian oil producers selling crude to U.S. refiners are enjoying a significant windfall, and they have one man to thank: President Donald Trump. Following weeks of trade tensions and verbal spats between the North American neighbours, it might seem surprising that Trump's policy whirlwind is offering Canada a boost. Get a look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets with the Morning Bid U.S. newsletter. Sign up here. But that is the thing about global trade networks. When you make one change, it can have a cascading effect with many unintended consequences – and beneficiaries. Canada, the world's fourth-largest crude producer, supplied U.S. refiners with around 4 million barrels per day in 2024, roughly half of total crude imports for the world's biggest oil consumer. Canada sends around 90% of its oil exports to the United States, which is mostly shipped via pipelines from the western province of Alberta to land-locked refiners in the U.S. Midwest. The future of this interdependence was thrown into turmoil at the end of last year, when the incoming U.S. president vowed to impose tariffs on America's northern neighbour, a promise he briefly made good on last month, before rowing back most of the tariffs within a few days. The main Canadian crude grades typically trade at a discount to benchmark U.S. crude due to transportation costs and its grade, and the tariff threat initially caused that gap to widen. But in recent weeks, the discount for Western Canada Select (WCS) delivered in Hardisty, Alberta has steadily shrunk, hitting $9.75 a barrel this week, the smallest since late November 2020, according to LSEG data. This WCS strength partly reflects traders' confidence that Canadian oil exports will continue to be exempt from U.S. tariffs, according to Rory Johnston, founder of Toronto-based consultancy Commodity Context. While Trump plans to announce new tariffs on unspecified countries on April 2, few expect this to include Canadian crude. VENEZUELA But the reduction in the WCS discount is also linked to Trump's recent actions against Venezuela. The administration revoked a production licence for Chevron, which imported 210,000 bpd of heavy-grade Venezuelan oil into the United States last year, and slapped a tariff on countries buying oil from Caracas. As it happens, Canadian crude is a good substitute for the Venezuelan grade, meaning it is now in high demand from U.S. Gulf Coast refineries that require heavy crude. Canadian producers have also benefited from completion last year of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which raised its capacity to 890,000 bpd. The pipeline offers producers the only export route to international markets bypassing the United States. Crude exports from Vancouver are set to rise to a record of 643,000 bpd in March, of which 45% are set to go to the United States, according to Kpler data. Canadian crude producers may not enjoy this windfall for long as OPEC+ producers are expected to bring more oil into the market in the coming months, including heavy grade crude. But what will also likely be coming in the next few months is more energy market volatility driven by the U.S. ever-evolving trade policy. And given Canadian oil producers' geographic location and position in the market, they may continue to benefit from this turmoil, even if that is not what the "America First" agenda has in mind. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters Want to receive my column in your inbox every Thursday, along with additional energy insights and trending stories? Sign up for my Power Up newsletter here. Writing by Ron Bousso; editing by David Evans Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.
