Six colleges make it through to the final of Zest Quest Asia

Six colleges from across the UK have made it to the shortlist of the Zest Quest Asia competition, founded by chef Cyrus Todiwala OBE and Clive Roberts, chairman of the Master Chefs of Great Britain.

The shortlisted colleges, including Farnborough College of Technology, Doncaster College, Sheffield City College, University College Birmingham, Westminster Kingsway College and University of West London, are now set to compete in a final cook-off to be held at the Hilton London Heathrow Terminal 5 on 16 February, followed by a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony where the winners will be announced.

Todiwala said: "We were overwhelmed by the number of great entries, so it was a tough call. Given the quality of this year's shortlisted teams, it looks like the judges are going to have a difficult time choosing a winner. Keep up the momentum and that trip to an Asian food capital could be yours."

Roberts added: "The second year of Zest Quest Asia promises an even bigger final than the last. I was amazed by the depth of interest in Asia and its cuisine shown by the entries. I deeply admire the colleges that encouraged their students to put in entries, as Asian cuisine is a key area in the future of culinary arts in this country, not only in terms of potential businesses and customers, but in terms of the complexity and techniques involved."