Two Edinburgh College students to represent Europe at international cookery competition

Following the mystery boxes, they will create a poultry dish for 125 people.

Shannon McNeil, 18, and Sophie Taylor, 21, who are both studying for an HNC in Professional Cookery and Hospitality have been selected by the Federation of Chefs in Scotland to compete as Team Scotland in the Nations Cup taking place at the world-renowned Secchia Institute for Culinary Education in the Grand Rapids, Michigan between 15 and 20 October.

The Masterchef-style competition will see each team will complete six mystery box challenges where the students will have one-and-a-half hours to conjure up a dish for four people from unknown ingredients.

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Sophie Taylor and Shannon McNeil will jet off to Michigan on Monday.

The students will then take part in a final challenge which will see them cook for 125 people with each team given a different element of a five-course dinner to prepare and cook.

Shannon and Sophie have been tasked with creating a poultry dish and they have opted to make: Scottish Borders quail, foraged mushrooms, charred baby leek, Glenkinchie whisky sour, heather honey and Arran mustard jus.

They will compete against student teams from Barbados, Canada, Mexico and the USA in a series of challenges designed to test their technical skills, creative flair, and ability to work under pressure.

The two compete in competitions regularly, both separately and together.

Sophie said: “I can’t wait to get across to Michigan and get started. It will be a brilliant opportunity to meet with students and chefs from across the world and it’ll be interesting to see how they work differently from us.

“Shannon and I have both competed individually and as a team before, so we feel confident that we can do well – it would be amazing to win some medals. Either way, we’ll make the most of the experience and give it our very best.”