Ayrshire student Declan Sloan awarded the “Golden Hat” by catering industry leaders after a week of intense competition.

By Doug Maclean – Ayrshire Daily News Business Writer

Declan, from Onthank, is studying SVQ Food and Beverage Level 5 at Ayrshire College, Kilmarnock. He was one of seven Ayrshire College students who qualified through an entry task submission. Declan had to win a place in the Grand Finals week by competing against 23 other high quality students.

He won the national title after outperforming students from colleges across the UK in one of the hospitality industry’s most respected and competitive development programmes.

No Golden Boot in this football mad month, but 24 year old Declan won the catering equivalent with the Toque d’Or (Golden hat) prize against stiff competition.

The top 12 finalists (six Back Of House and six Front Of House) competed in a week of intensive real-world challenges across the UK. They were tested on customer service, hospitality operations, sustainability, teamwork and professional excellence at some of the UK's leading hospitality venues.

At the 38th annual Nestle Professional Toque D’or awards Declan was announced as the Front-Of-House champion while Back-of-House Champion was Nathan Derek Short from Glasgow College. The awards were made at the Church House, Westminster which sits in the shadow of Westminster Cathedral, London.

Declan said after the award presentation “Winning Toque d’Or is an incredible achievement and I’m extremely proud. The competition challenged me in so many ways and gave me the opportunity to learn from some of the best people in the industry. It has strengthened my confidence and confirmed my ambition to build a successful career in hospitality.” He was later quoted as saying “I think the only thing that can top this is Scotland winning the World Cup!”

The hospitality industry is vital to Ayrshire and estimated to be worth more than £600 million per year and employing more than 12,000 people.

Sarah Davidson, Hospitality Lecturer at Ayrshire College, said: “As a lecturer, you hope to inspire your students, but every so often a student comes along who inspires everyone around them. Watching Declan win the competition was a moment of immense pride and real recognition of his talent alongside the hard work he has put in with us at Ayrshire College. He has done us all proud and we are excited to see where this opportunity takes him!”

Declan and Nathan will embark on a culinary trip across Scandinavia in July. They will visit Denmark, Sweden and Norway, some of the world’s most forward thinking food destinations, while exploring innovative hospitality concepts, sustainable gastronomy and regional culinary traditions.

Declan has won a £2,000 educational grant from the Savoy Educational Trust. Ayrshire College will receive an additional £1,000 from the Trust.