Fiji National University student, Merewalesi Banuve is the winner of the top student chef competition after edging out 22 other competitors at the Hospitality and Tourism Festival special cookery competition.
Participants consisted of students from FNU’s College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies, National Training and Productivity Centre, Technical College of Fiji and University of the South Pacific’s Pacific TAFE.
The week‑long festival organised by NTPC is currently being held at FNU’s Namaka Campus in Nadi.
Banuve, who is pursuing a Trade Diploma in Culinary Arts, says she was proud to win such a competition, especially when she was up against other talented student chefs.
She says her winning dish was an intricate combination of stuffed pouched fish, kai and pineapple salsa, béchamel and coconut sauce, garlic butter octopus with dalo logs.
Banuve says seafood had never been her strong suit, but she was happy to have participated in the challenge and declared the winner.
Hilton Fiji, Senior Sous Chef, and Competition Judge, Freddy Movick says Banuve had stood out during the competition heats and was very consistent in the way she delivered her food by blending tradition and modern styles of food preparation.
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