The Sheffield College students triumph at Zest Quest Asia 2026

Catering students from The Sheffield College have triumphed at this year’s prestigious industry competition Zest Quest Asia.

For the third time since 2022, the college has been named as the overall Zest Quest Asia champion.

Amos Peck, 17, and Destiny Breeze, 18, both from Sheffield, and Luke Swift, 17, from Barnsley, have won a week’s study trip to Hong Kong. 

The students are completing a Level 2 Catering and Hospitality Diploma at the college’s City Campus on Granville Road.

Andy Gabbitas, Chef Lecturer, The Sheffield College, said: “I am over the moon and so proud of our students. They have worked so hard and shown real grit and dedication. We are all so excited to go to Hong Kong.”

He added: “Competing at this high level involves hours of preparation to research the topic and develop high level skills. It’s an excellent way to prepare for a career in the industry.

“My message to future competitors is have a go, put your heart and soul into it and you’ll reap the rewards. It’s given me immense satisfaction seeing our students thrive. At our college, every chef wants to enter Zest Quest Asia. It’s been brilliant.”

Andy is celebrating a double success having also just been shortlisted in the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Awards in the Chef and Service Lecturer category.

Zest Quest Asia is a competition for college teams which tests students’ technical expertise, creativity, knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Asian cuisine. It was founded by London-based restaurateurs Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala with the support of the Master Chefs of Great Britain. 

Cyrus Todiwala said: “Congratulations to all the teams who got as far as the finals and of course to The Sheffield College who are outstanding, well-deserved winners. I hope they will get as much as they can from their prize.”

Nigel Barden, BBC food and drink broadcaster and returning host of Zest Quest Asia, said: “Zest Quest Asia is so special because it’s a great way of giving a voice to these fabulous students but also to the chef mentors who look after them. You could see how much it means to them. 

“Not only is it the hours of practice, but it’s giving the students the confidence to stand up and eulogise about their dishes to the judges, not just cook them. It takes a lot of guts to do that and so it really prepares them for this fabulous world of culinary arts.”

Student Amos Peck said: "Zest Quest Asia has been an absolutely amazing adventure, where I have learnt tonnes of new things all rooted in tradition and how they can work with modern resources. 

“Learning how to use all of the wonderful Lee Kum Kee products to make amazing food has been a key part of the process and has taught me a lot. It feels amazing to win and I can't wait for what the future holds."

Student Destiny Breeze added: “Zest Quest Asia has been an amazing experience and such a great opportunity to branch out of my comfort zone and learn new skills. I’ve met some brilliant people and learnt some amazing stuff throughout this journey. 

“My knowledge of Asian cooking has deepened greatly especially through all the new products I’ve branched into using such as the Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce and chilli oil which drastically changed our dishes for the better when deciding and practicing our ideas. I cannot wait to deepen my knowledge further and experience so many more flavours with the amazing opportunity of going to Hong Kong.”

Student Luke Swift commented: “From the start, Zest Quest Asia has been a great experience furthering my passion for Asian cuisine. Getting to meet other competitors and learning about their cuisines too, and broadening my knowledge, has made it even better. I’m super excited to go to Hong Kong. It will be amazing to get a taste of authentic cuisine and learn about the culture there.”

Eight finalist teams had to deliver a 15 to 20 minute presentation to the judges on 9th April 2026. This was followed by a live cook off the day after at the University of West London where the students had two hours to produce a four-course meal.

The Sheffield College team’s winning efforts were based on their ‘Taste of Sichuan’ menu which comprised an amuse bouche of Sichuan pork dumpling served with a Lee Kum Kee oyster dipping sauce and a starter of mushroom mapo tofu, mantou steamed bun.

The main course was jasmine tea smoked duck breast with a crispy Tilda jasmine rice cake, bok choi and a fermented chilli glaze and the dessert comprised chrysanthemum-infused osmanthus jelly, Sichuan pepperice-cream and red bean tuille. 

The winners were announced at a gala dinner at the Hilton London Wembley on 10th April 2026 attended by leading experts in the industry. The first prize trip has been provided by the competition’s headline sponsor, Lee Kum Kee.

The Sheffield College previously won Zest Quest Asia in 2024 and 2022 and came second in 2025. The competition has been credited with raising awareness and interest in Asian flavours, cooking styles and techniques among a new generation of college-trained chefs.

Visit www.sheffcol.ac.uk.