Hazelwood College

National HomeCook Baking Overall Winner

Recently Hazelwood College student Bríd Flanagan beat nearly two thousand entrants to secure victory in the ‘Homecook Baking Games’ Competition. Here she is presented with her winner’s trophy, prize and certificate of excellence. Pictured are (Left to Right) Master Baker Derek O’ Brien, Hazelwood College Home Economics teacher Noreen Daly, Bríd Flanagan (first Year) Hazelwood College, Celebrity Chef Kevin Dundon and Dee Laffan Editor of Easy Food Magazine.

Hazelwood Rises to the Apprentice Chef Challenge!

Laura Stack and Julia O’Doherty, two Home Economics students from Hazelwood College attended the semi-final for the ‘Apprentice Chef Competition’ in Institute of Technology Tralee on Thursday last. Laura Stack, currently in second year, and Julia O’ Doherty, a TY student, faced the challenge to create a recipe and prepare a main course using only ingredients from the ‘Good Mood Food List’. The Hazelwood College pair saw off competition from students in schools across Kerry, Cork and Limerick to win the coveted places in regional final on Friday, March 8th.

The competition is generously sponsored by Institute of Technology Tralee, Lee Strand, ‘Just Cooking’, Firies, ‘Inner Joy’, ‘Utensils’ and Taste of Kerry. The students were met by Chefs Mark Murphy, Mark Doe and Simon Regan in the Hotel and Catering Department of the I.T.

The overall regional winner will receive €1,000 for their school, sponsored by Lee Strand, plus a three day internship with Chef Simon Regan. The ultimate victor will also win three cookery workshops with Chef Mark Doe at Just Cooking, Firies, three Innerjoy Wellbeing Coaching sessions with Susan Fitzgerald, an Apprentice Chef uniform and kitchen utensils.

Competition mentor, Mark Doe, feels that this is a positive opportunity for schools. “With the importance of healthy eating and you are what you eat, we believe that the Apprentice Chef will bring an enhanced awareness of this to the Secondary Schools,” he said. The girls’ Home Economics teacher, Ms. Daly, expressed her confidence in the students, labelling the students as ‘extremely capable and self-motivated’.

(left to right) Mark Doe, Proprietor of ‘Just Cooking’ Culinary School, Hazelwood College students Laura Stack and Julia O’Doherty and local chef Simon Regan at the IT Tralee Hotel and Catering Department. The Hazelwood College pair participated in the ‘Apprentice Chef Competition’ Semi-Final as preparation for the upcoming Regional ‘Apprentice Chef Competition’ Regional Final

Budding Bakers Smell Success

Three students, Bríd Flanagan and Laoise Bennis from first year and Paul Kirwan from third year, representing Hazelwood College, Dromcollogher are among the 65 successful semi-finalists for a new national ‘Homecook Baking Games’ competition. The three made it through the initial stage, where over one thousand entries were received. Students were challenged to create delectable baked products using a Homecook product such as cooking chocolate, dried fruit, decorations, marmalade, lemon juice etc. Each of the semi-finalist entries, which were chosen by the judges based on creativity, nutritional content and affordability, are currently being collated into a 32 page semi-finalist cookbook which will be available in the March edition of Easy Food Magazine, which goes on sale in newsagents nationwide from 31st January next. Foodies everywhere will be invited to vote for their favourite recipe by three methods: by post to VOTE BAKING GAMES, Zahra Media Group, 1st Floor, Zoe House, Church Road, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, by email to [email protected] or on the website www.homecookbakinggames.com.

The public are asked to vote for their favourite recipe by logging onto www.homecookbakinggames.com. By scrolling down the web page Paul’s recipe for Shortbread Delight, Laoise’s recipe for Coffee and Walnut Cake and Brid’s Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Blondies will be evident. The eight students with the highest number of votes will be chosen to prepare, cook and serve their baked product in front of a panel of celebrity judges. The students of Hazelwood College are asking the public to vote immediately for their recipe entries and support them in their quest to reach the final in the Baking Academy in Dublin.

To help you vote we have provided direct links to each students entry below
Please note you vote by entering your email address, each email address can only be used once

Vote for Paul Kirwan’s Shortbread Delight …here…

Vote for Laoise Bennis’s Coffee and Walnut Cake …here…

Vote for Bríd Flanagan’s Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Blondies …here…

Easy Food Home-Cook Hero Awards 2012

Home Cook Hero

Hazelwood College first year student Aine Bennis was recently selected as a finalists in the ‘Easy Food Home-Cook Hero Awards 2012’ competition. It is a national cookery competition which was open to the public, of every age, and sponsored by ‘Easy Food’, which is Ireland’s best selling food magazine. Three finalists for each of the ten categories were invited to the Cook’s Academy Cookery School in Dublin on the 2nd November where they cooked their chosen recipe in front of a panel of celebrity judges consisting of Kevin Dundon, Catherine Fulvio and Catherine Leydon.

The favourite top ten dishes were picked and the winners were announced by none other than RTE’s Marty Whelan at a gala black tie awards dinner in the Shelbourne Hotel Dublin which was attended by Aine, her parents Anita and John and her Home Economics teacher Ms. Daly. Aine spent hours fine-tuning her recipe for the Caca Milis category with the help of her Nanna so that her black forest gateau could meet the competition time requirements of 80 minutes.

Aine prepared, cooked, decorated and served a delectable and mouth-watering black forest gateau cake and tantalised the taste buds of the celebrity judges. The star studded awards event allowed Aine to meet celebrities and master chefs such as Kevin Dundon, Catherine Fulvio, Catherine Leydon and also RTE’s Marty Whelan.

Hazelwood College Makes a Clean Sweep!

Hazelwood College students surpassed themselves yet again with another stupendous win on behalf of the Home Economics Department. Second year students Alison Healy & Rebecca McGuinness were the overall 1st prize winners with Brid Flanagan, Jessica Roche & Aoife Kiely taking 2nd prize in Category One of the Bord Bia Quality Mark Schools Competition in the Listowel Food Fair 2012 recently. The students were asked to compile pages for a new Bord Bia Quality Mark website which was to include a home page, recipe page and gallery page. The home page was to provide an outline of the Bord Bia Quality Mark, what it means and how Bord Bia promotes quality assured products to consumers. The students also had to devise a recipe using Bord Bia Quailty Mark products and to include a gallery page which included 3 photos/sketches of local products available in the area which carry the Bord Bia Quality Mark.

Alison and Rebecca received a €100 An Post voucher and certificate each, while Brid, Jessica and Aoife received a €50 An Post voucher and certificate each. The Home Economics department also received €300 prize money towards equipment. The department were absolutely delighted with the students’ achievements and acknowledged that their hard work paid off.

Hazelwood College Home Economics students enjoy the sweet taste of success in Category One of the Bord Bia Quality Mark Schools Competition in the Listowel Food Fair 2012 recently (L–R) Brid Flanagan, Aoife Kiely, Tara O’ Donnell, Orla Cunningham, Home Economics teacher Ms. Noreen Daly, Rebecca McGuiness, Alison Healy and Jessica Roche. Bríd, Alison and Jessica, all first years, achieved a remarkable second place in Category One, while Alison and Rebecca took first place honours.

Sweet Success for Hazelwood

Hazelwood College’s Home Economics students enjoyed great success at the recent Listowel Food Fair. Since its commencement in 1995 the Listowel Food Fair has continued to be a phenomenal gastronomic success. It continues to provide the public with an array of events such as cookery demonstrations with celebrity chefs, food tastings, seminars, workshops and numerous cookery competitions.
One competition in particular that continues to prove popular with all age groups is the ‘Home Baker of the Year Award 2012’, under the category of ‘Best Cupcake Decoration’ and ‘Best Chocolate Biscuit Cake’ this year. Hazelwood College Home Economics students were invited to participate and the level of interest showed their enthusiasm and imagination. An enormous amount of time and energy was made by all the students who entered. ‘The cherry on the top’ was when Jessica Roche (1st year) was announced 1st prize winner and Tara O’ Donnell (3rd year) won 2nd prize in the best cupcake decoration category. This was followed quickly with the revelation that Orla Cunningham (5th year) was declared 3rd prize winner in the best chocolate cake category.
The judges were highly impressed with the school entries – Michelle O’ Connor one of the judging panelists commented that she ‘was amazed by the interest and the quality of the products entered and blown away by the creativity of the students.’ There was great excitement when news filtered through the school of the girls’ success.

Sweet Success for Hazelwood College! Pictured (L to R) ‘Home Baker of the Year 2012’ Winning students – Jessica Roche winner of Best Cupcake Decoration category, with Tara O’ Donnell who took second prize in the Best Cupcake Decoration Category and Orla Cunningham, who took third prize in the ‘Best Chocolate Biscuit Cake’ category.