Catering college students serve up success at Unox’s CombiGuru Finals

Fifty-eight students from catering colleges across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have competed in Unox’s fourth annual CombiGuru Challenge, held at the cooking equipment manufacturer’s headquarters in Padua, Italy.

Prospective competitors were invited at the end of last year to sign up for the CombiGuru app and test their knowledge of the gastronomic world. The 58 young chefs passing the first stage were given an all-expenses paid trip, alongside their lecturer, to compete against one another in the ‘Oven Challenge’ – a live cook-off at Unox HQ where their skills were put to the test.

With a record number of finalists, the students were split into six groups across as many days, all preparing two dishes: a main course and a dessert to demonstrate their skills in the kitchen in a professional environment. After months of preparation and six finals, runners-up and a winner were crowned for each day.

The victors were:

• Day 1: Oliver Cornes – Cheshire College Crewe
• Day 2: Charlie Sexton – Richmond Upon Thames College
• Day 3: Corey Campbell – Belfast Metropolitan College
• Day 4: Alfie Reid – Edinburgh College (Milton Road Campus)
• Day 5: Ruby Goodens – East Riding College
• Day 6: Catrin Webb – Westminster Kingsway College

Each winner received a MaglioNero 12-piece knife set and a professional pizza-making course at Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli, plus the six winning colleges will receive a new five-tray Unox Cheftop Mind.Maps combi-oven. Each runner-up also received a MaglioNero knife, as well as all lecturers who took part in a pizza-making demonstration with Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli.

Steven McGarvie, managing director of Unox UK said: “The standard of culinary skill, creativity and professionalism on display across all six days was truly exceptional. All 58 young chefs mastered the Oven Challenge and produced dishes that genuinely impressed the judges. It is a tough challenge to undertake, but in the face of pressure, the incredible camaraderie between competitors who supported and encouraged one another throughout was fantastic to see.

“Supporting budding young chefs with experiences such as CombiGuru is a privilege and one that Unox is committed to continuing. Being a part of the students’ development and supporting the winning colleges with their new ovens is something we hope will inspire the next generation of talent for years to come. We hope to welcome many of these colleges, and their students, back for CombiGuru 2027.”