Cheered on by a plethora of supporters, chefs, baristas and mixologists gathered for two days of competitions, giving them the opportunity to showcase their skills and harness their creativity. The Competitions culminated in a Gala dinner where the winners were announced.
Amanda Pettingill, TUCO chair, commented: "This year's Competitions were truly outstanding. The calibre of competitors was exceptional, and the innovation and passion they brought to their dishes and drinks was inspiring to witness. Our thanks go to everyone who participated, supported the event, and our generous sponsors - their commitment to developing the next generation of hospitality talent is invaluable."
The Chefs' Challenge saw a ‘remarkable partnership’ come together to claim the Best in Class title. Nick Denning and Janet Szypillo from the University of Exeter, who have worked together for over 30 years, delivered a three-course meal. They were one of five teams to win a gold medal in this category but they came away with the Best in Class accolade.
Szypillo said: "I'm feeling chuffed to bits. I entered a different category last year, but this time I wanted to push the boat out and do something completely out of my comfort zone.
“Our vice chancellor is vegetarian, but I've not done a great deal of vegan cooking previously, so I thought this would be a great chance to test my skills. I took simple ingredients and turned it into a nice, well executed dish. I can't lie, there were some pretty stressful moments, but this is what makes it worth it - it's brilliant."
The Barista Skills Challenge involved a live 15-minute competition producing four espressos, four milk or milk alternative drinks and four espresso-based, non-alcoholic specialty drinks. Nicolas Martin from the University of Edinburgh achieved a gold medal and Best in Class.
The Burger Challenge required competitors to produce two portions with a twist on the recognised burger offer, using any main filling and ingredients: meat, fish, vegetarian or vegan in just 45 minutes. The gold medal and Best in Class winner was Szczepan Swierkosz from the University of Leeds.
Returning for 2026, the Breakfast Challenge competitors were tasked with creating an exciting breakfast dish to showcase their culinary skills and creativity. Federica Laudani from the University of Exeter secured a silver medal and Best in Class.
The Love British Food Challenge was to deliver two portions of a plated main course using a supplied British protein with suitable garnish and accompaniments. Competitors had 45 minutes to produce two portions of the dish. This was won by Kevin Whitcher from the University of Southampton.
Harrison Wena from Imperial College London was named Best in Class for the Mixology Competition and Nicky Stanbury from the University of Exeter claimed a silver medal and Best In Class in the Sandwich Challenge.
Doug Shewan from the University of Aberdeen won a gold medal and Best in Class for the Seafood Skills Challenge that required competitors to produce two portions of a main seafood dish. Mark Pilling from the University of Birmingham won a gold medal and Best in Class in the Vegan Challenge.
View the full list of medal winners for TUCO Competitionshttps://www.tuco.ac.uk/insight/news-opinion/tuco-competitions-2026-winners-revealed.