Congratulations to Culinary Industry Management students at UWL’s London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism (LGCHT) Zain Williams, Riccardo Dalessandro and Kieran Dos Santos Coelho who have secured a finalist place in the Zest Quest Asia 2026 competition.

This year’s competition received 43 entries from 26 colleges and universities across the country, and UWL’s team is now one of the eight finalists who have created a four-course menu showcasing an Asian country’s cuisine.

The final cook-off will take place at UWL on Friday 10 April. That evening the winners will be announced at a Gala Dinner at Hilton London Wembley.

Embedding sustainability into every dish

Ahead of the final, the students will present their research on their chosen country, its cuisine, gastronomic influences and cultural context to a panel of judges and industry experts. Crucially, they will also demonstrate how they have embedded sustainability best practices into their menu development, from responsible sourcing and eliminating single use plastics to the careful management of resources such as water and energy.

Sustainable production and consumption are core principles within UWL’s culinary and food related programmes, and this competition provides an excellent platform for students to put these values into practice.

Senior Lecturer Nathan Vasanthan commented:

“Seeing our students pushing boundaries with such curiosity, discipline and growing cultural awareness is genuinely rewarding. Their success so far speaks not only to their technical ability, but also to the breadth and depth of rigorous research required to meet the demands of the brief. I’m incredibly proud of the enthusiasm and imagination they’ve brought to this challenge and wish them all the very best for the final.”

Student Riccardo Dalessandro said:

“This has been an amazing journey through Asian cuisine, allowing me to deepen my knowledge of ingredients that I haven’t worked with before. We have been able to create new dishes while working under the mentorship of Chef Nathan, whose extensive experience in Asian cuisine has made it an incredible learning experience.”

Student Zain Williams said:

“Learning an unfamiliar cuisine has been challenging but exciting and has caused me to grow as a young chef. I’ve encountered new flavours, textures and aromas as I’ve learned to develop new dishes. I’m excited to represent this cuisine to the best of my ability.”