South West College (SWC) Hospitality and Catering students have delivered an exceptional performance at this year’s IFEX Exhibition, held at the Eikon Exhibition Centre. Often described as “the Oscars of the culinary world,” IFEX is renowned for its high standards, demanding exceptional technical skill, creativity, precision and professionalism.

Students from SWC’s Dungannon, Omagh and Enniskillen campuses competed across a wide range of prestigious culinary categories, including the Plant Based Chef Challenge, Larder Knife Skills, Classical Junior Chicken, Student Culinarian of the Year and the Serve and Cook Team Challenge. Their collective success reflects not only individual talent, but also the strength of collaboration and preparation across the College.

The success at IFEX 2026 was built on months of dedication and teamwork. Catering lecturers worked closely with students to refine their skills and competition dishes, while college staff across departments provided essential support with transport, logistics, marketing and coordination. Special thanks also go to Ronan Kerr, past SWC degree student and WorldSkills medallist, who generously mentored students and shared his expertise in the lead-up to the competition.

• Faith Reid – Gold Medal and Best in Class, Classical Junior Chicken
• Conor Maguire, assisted by Commis Chef Molly – Gold Medal, Student Culinarian of the Year 2026
• Aoibheann Genockey – Silver Medal, Classical Junior Chicken
• Mason Jeffers – Silver Medal, Classical Junior Chicken

• Mason Connelly – Silver Medal, Junior Sauté Chicken
• Patrik Papi – Silver Medal, Open Duck Culinary Freestyle (Senior Category)
• Alex Donaghey – Bronze Medal, Plant-Based Chef Challenge
• Christopher Craig – Bronze Medal, Larder Knife Skills – Butchery

The Enniskillen team competed in the Cook & Serve Team Challenge:

• Katie Anne Wood and Sebastian Timlin (Kitchen)
• Imogen Darcy and Andina Zarda (Front of House)

Each team member earned a Silver Medal for their individual culinary and service performances. Collectively, they were awarded the Team Challenge Cup for achieving an overall Silver standard.

These achievements come on the back of a busy year for SWC students, including recent WorldSkills competitions, where creativity and technical expertise were once again demonstrated at the highest level.

The results at IFEX 2026 speak volumes about the talent, resilience and dedication of SWC’s Hospitality and Catering students and staff. Across all three campuses, the passion for excellence and commitment to craft were evident in every competition category.

South West College extends its sincere congratulations to all competitors and heartfelt thanks to the dedicated lecturers, support teams and mentors who made this success possible. The future is undoubtedly bright for these aspiring chefs and hospitality professionals as they continue to make their mark in the competition arena.