A North County Dublin man is set to take part in an event this month which aims to highlight how rewarding a career as a chef can be.
Derek McClelland, from Skerries, is among 12 final-year BA (Hons) in Culinary Arts students from Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) who will take part in 'Chef Takeover' from March 24-27.
The students, who will take over the kitchen of Bellissimo restaurant in Waterford for four nights, have created tasting menus with a strong focus on exceptional local produce.
They will be working the kitchen at the event in a variety of roles, from head chef to pastry specialist.
Derek, a past pupil of Skerries Community College, has been a Culinary Arts student at Waterford Institute of Technology since 2015.
He has a Higher certificate in Culinary Arts and is now in his final year of a BA (Hons) Culinary Arts at the institute.
Derek, who has a passion for pastry, is currently specialising in it for his final year of college. He is an avid enthusiast of living sustainably, buying local when he can and eating seasonal produce.
In 2018, Derek was crowned champion of the first Dairy Chef competition which took place at DIT.
The competition was in partnership with the National Dairy Council (NDC) and the embassy of France to Ireland. He was one of six culinary arts students chosen in Ireland and paired with one French culinary student.
The students had to create a three-course meal using the best of Irish and French dairy products which saw Derek come out on top, winning a weeklong internship in Paris.
Derek has recently returned home from a mandatory international year, taking part in a work and college placement as part of Year Three of the programme. Derek worked as a pastry chef at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel in Alberta, Canada, before going on to attend classes at the world-renowned Institute Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France.
In the past Derek has worked for some of the top hotels and chefs in Ireland, including the K Club, a 5-star hotel located in Kildare.
In 2018 he worked for Keith Boyle, formerly of the Bay Tree Bistro in Waterford, who was ranked among the top 100 chefs in Ireland 2018.
Michael Quinn, a full-time lecturer at WIT and a renowned chef in his own right, has been working closely with the students on their ‘Chef Takeover’ preparations.
“Our students have used everything they’ve learned throughout their four years to pair mouth-watering ingredients, combining theory, practice, creativity and a phenomenal sense of adventure along the way,” he said.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the best of Irish produce curated by the best of Irish student culinary talent.”