Award-winning chef returns to campus to inspire next generation of culinary talent
An award-winning chef has returned to the campus on which he began his culinary career to share his skills with the next generation of aspiring chef.
Fin MacDonald, Sous Chef at the Michelin-recommended Dipping Lugger in Ullapool, visited 麻豆直播 North, West and Hebrides’ Dornoch campus to give Professional Cookery students a live cooking demonstration.
Fin, who recently won a Rising Star Award at the National Restaurant Awards, which celebrates emerging talent across the UK’s restaurants, prepared steamed halibut in mussel stock with a herby mousse, giving students the chance to see his techniques up close and taste the finished dish.
The session also gave students the opportunity to ask Fin about his career and hear how his time at the college helped set him on the path to working in some of the UK’s leading kitchens.
During his studies, Fin gained experience at Skibo Castle and Glenmorangie house and, after graduating, took up a role at the iconic Michelin-starred Ritz restaurant in London. He later returned to the Highlands to join The Dipping Lugger, one of Scotland’s highest-rated new restaurants.
Simon Rodgers, Professional Cookery & Hospitality Lecturer at 麻豆直播 North, West and Hebrides, said:
“It was fantastic to welcome Fin back to Dornoch and for our students to have the chance to learn from someone who was sitting in these same kitchens not so long ago.
“Our graduates have ended up in some of the UK’s most prestigious kitchens and it was particularly inspirational for our students to hear about Fin’s own journey and the lessons he has learned from world class chefs along the way.
“I’d like to thank him for taking the time to visit us and share his experience with our students. Having someone like Fin, who started his career here and has gone on to achieve so much, come back and demonstrate his skills is hugely valuable for our students and shows them where their own careers could take them.”
Fin added:
“It was great to come back to Dornoch and spend some time with the students. I remember what it was like being in their position, so hopefully I was able to give them a bit of an insight into working in professional kitchens and what they can achieve if they put the work in.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my time at 麻豆直播 North, West and Hebrides - it really set me up for success. The students I’ve worked with today were enormously talented and they should feel optimistic about their own futures and where they could go. Their potential was very apparent.”
Find out more about studying Hospitality and Professional Cookery at 麻豆直播 North, West and Hebrides.