CREDIT: ROLAND HOFNER
(From left): Christina Ferguson, Robyn Fenelon and Ankita Vaidya's cakes each won medals in the Culinary Salon competition.

Fanshawe College culinary art students grabbed three medals on March 1 at the annual Culinary Salon competition at the Toronto Food Show.

Robyn Fenelon and Ankita Vaidya each won a silver medal and Christina Ferguson a bronze medal all in the wedding cake category.

“I’m very proud of them,” said Chef Roland Hofner, a Fanshawe professor who trained the students for the competition. “This is a great achievement. They’ve spent a lot of time, a lot of dedication, a lot of practice hours.”

Students were judged on a point system under international rules set by the World Association of Chefs Societies. Judges came from Canada, the United States and Sweden.

“When we went there, we got to see other people’s work, and we got an idea [of] where we are standing and what other people are doing and the way they’re thinking about it,” Vaidya said. “We also got advice from all the chefs, and the teachers there, the judges.”

Hofner says to achieve a gold in the competition is almost impossible now that it is judged by international rules. Students would need years and years of practice and next-to-perfection skills, he said. Fanshawe has won numerous golds in the competition when it was judged by national rules. 

The three culinary students had been practicing their baking skills for the competition since January, practicing all day from Monday to Saturday during reading week.

“I’m very proud of my competition work,” Ferguson said. “I’ve worked long, hard hours for it to be done, and I just let the cake create itself.”

The Salon is Canada’s biggest event for the restaurant and hospitality industry, and it is held every year as part of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association show.

Fanshawe has been competing at the Salon for seven years and have won more than 50 medals. 

“Overall, it was a really good experience,” Fenelon said. “I didn’t expect to place at all, so to get silver [in an] internationally-judged competition is a pretty good thing.”