Zest Quest Asia - Be Passionate - Be Inspired - Be Involved
Tilda are proud Golden Sponsors of Zest Quest Asia; a team competition designed to demonstrate student competitors’ technical expertise, creativity, knowledge and appreciation of Asian cuisine.
ZEST QUEST ASIA’S MISSION IS TO BRING YOUNG CHEFS’ CREATIVITY TO LIFE WITH INSPIRED ASIAN DISHES. AS HEADLINE SPONSORS, THE TILDA BEST USE OF RICE AWARD SEES CHEFS COMPETE FOR A COVETED PRIZE TO ITALY TO EXPLORE THE ARBORIO PADDY FIELDS AND DISCOVER CULINARY TRENDS IN THE REGION.
Tilda Best Use of Rice
The Tilda Best Use of Rice category was awarded to the entry which elevated the flavour of their chosen rice as centre of plate and used Tilda to enhance the overall meal experience.
A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to North Hertfordshire College – Emily Simkins, Phil Maddison, James Wheatley and Chef Lecturer Anthony Gasgoine who all win an amazing trip to Italy.
North Hertfordshire’s Winning Dishes
After reaching the finals of Zest Quest Asia last year, this time North Hertfordshire College managed to scoop three awards, including the Tilda Best Use of Rice award for their Asian inspired menu which uses rice across the menu. The winning dishes below showcase rice’s versatility across the menu, in starters, mains and desserts.
Thai Prawn Bisque
Braised Duck Leg Thai Massaman Curry
Fried Mango Sticky Rice
Read all about past winners here
THE TILDA CATEGORY WINNERS RECEIVE
• They will visit the spectacular rice paddies and mills responsible for the world-famous Tilda rice
• They will explore one of Italy’s oldest cities and enjoy Vercelli’s best, local produce and wine with a visit to a local vineyard
• They will visit the wonderful sites of Milan for plenty of sightseeing!
Plus, each winning chef will be awarded the famous Tilda Trophy!
Click HereSIGN UP FOR OUR ITALY TREND REPORT!
Winners of the Tilda Chef Team of the Year competition will be lucky enough to explore the paddy fields in Italy themselves, but you can get in on the action!
Sign up to the waiting list to receive your very own Italy trend report, exploring the latest and greatest rice dish concepts in Italy and top tips from chefs to try in your kitchen.
Get on the waiting list for yours nowThe Competition
A total of 7 forward thinking UK-based colleges represented by teams of 3 students and their amazing tutors have won the Zest Quest Asia title, beating other finalists at a cook-off and knowledge presentation.
The Prize
Each year the Zest Quest Asia winners get to experience a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a wonderful Asian culinary capital such as New Delhi/Mumbai, Bangkok, Colombo, Tokyo/Osaka, Hanoi & Manila where they can explore the beauty, tastes and culture.
2023 Finalists and Winners
- The talented finalists for 2023 were – Cheshire College – South & West, North Hertfordshire College , UHI North Highland, The Sheffield College, University College Birmingham and University of West London who all performed outstandingly!
- A HUGE congratulations to The University of West London, who came out on top with their creativity to win The Zest Quest Asia 2023 Title:
BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Food Management student, Olivia Parker-Smith
BSc (Hons) Culinary Arts Management students, Nekeshia Alcee and Prema Rebekah Kaur Sembi-Harding
2023 Inspiration from The University of West London
We were impressed with the 2023 winner dishes from the University of West London, below are two of their recipes to showcase how you could use rice in your kitchen:
Banh Chung
A Northern Vietnamese rice dish served during the Lunar New Year. Lemongrass and chilli chicken with stir-fried broccoli stems and cabbage served with carrot, daikon and kohlrabi pickle.
Chuoi Boc Nep Nurong
Honteri-miso glazed, sticky rice banana cake with creamy coconut sauce and roasted peanuts.
Read all about past winners here
As an executive chef, I am always passionate about supporting the next generation of chefs and hospitality students. At Radisson, we are proud to be associated with the esteemed competition, Zest Quest Asia, along with Chef Cyrus. We hope to play our part in supporting the journey of new and upcoming creative culinary talent.
Jasbeer Dawar, Executive Chef at the Radisson Red Hotel London Heathrow
We are developing a pipeline of young homegrown cooks who truly understand and have the ability to prepare food in an authentic Asian style. They are the future of out industry. Asian cooking is a complex art and science. Our competitors will have grasped the challenge, drawing on the culinary traditions and influences of different Asian cultures. The winners will have the chance to physically and mentally immerse themselves in an Asian culture.
Cyrus Todiwala, OBE DL Founder of Zest Quest Asia
Zest Quest Asia 2023, which is celebrating its tenth year enjoys significant support from the industry. The competition is headline sponsored by Tilda Foodservice who, in collaboration with the Todiwalas, hope to inspire student chefs across the UK to consider Asian cookery as a future career by recognising outstanding talent, knowledge and understanding of the cuisine. Together they hope to place classical Asian cookery firmly on the curriculum, as well as build on the skills needed for future chefs to succeed in the Asian food industry.
Click here