Gemma Gant, one of North Hertfordshire College’s Level 3 Hospitality students, recently took part in the regional finals of the prestigious Nestle Toque D’Or competition at Nestle Headquarters in Gatwick.
The Nestle Toque D’Or competition has been running for 34 years, with the aim of testing and educating college students and apprentices across the country in both practical, service-based, and business-focused tasks. This year’s competition, the first one to be face-to-face since the start of the pandemic, involved 500 competitors all competing for the top spot. We’re proud to say that Gemma was chosen as one of the final 15 Front of House students across the whole country – an amazing achievement!
Gemma has been working really hard across the year to improve her skills and put her knowledge to the test. She’s not only entered a number of different events and competitions since the start of September, but she’s also benefitted from visits and training sessions at fantastic locations such as Coworth Park, Heston’s, and The Savoy.
During the regional finals, Gemma served a table of guests from Nestle and was judged on a range of key skills. These included her communication skills with the kitchen, her wine pairing choices, her design of a coffee-based mocktail, as well as designing the meal that was designed and cooked by her chef on the day.
Stuart Dunlop, Deputy Head of Curriculum for Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Catering & Hospitality at North Hertfordshire College, commented on the competition, saying: “Although the competition took place behind closed doors, Gemma came out full of confidence. Getting through to the final 15 Front of House students is a huge achievement.”
Gemma is positive about her experience of the competition, saying: “It was a really fun experience but hard work. I’ve learnt so much by taking part!”
Well done again to Gemma for making it to the regional finals!
If you’re interested in following in Gemma’s footsteps and putting your Front of House skills to the test, why not join North Hertfordshire College for a Hospitality course? Find who you want to be!
