Waterford chef cooks up national title to be crowned Ireland's Student Chef of the Year

A Waterford student has been crowned Student Chef of the Year 2026 after impressing judges with a creative menu inspired by the FIFA World Cup.

Rebecca Mahon from SETU Waterford took home the prestigious Knorr Professional Student Chef of the Year title following a live two-hour cook-off at TUS Moylish Campus in Limerick.

The national competition saw eight of the country's most talented student chefs battle it out to create a two-course menu based on this year's theme, "Borderless Cuisine".

Rebecca's winning menu drew inspiration from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, using the tournament as a creative lens to explore how food evolves when cultures and traditions come together.

"The World Cup represents more than soccer," Rebecca explained.

"It represents movement, migration, celebration, and the coming together of nations without borders. I wanted to translate that same energy into food."

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Her standout main course, titled "Pork Hat Trick," featured a trio of dishes showcasing different pork cuts and techniques.

The dish included chorizo and maple sausage on celeriac purée with burnt apple butter, a cranberry, pecan and sage stuffed pork fillet, and a pithivier of smoked pork cheek and tongue, all tied together with a rich star anise and cider infused pork jus.

For dessert, Rebecca created "The Celebration," a Mississippi Mud Pie inspired by American dessert culture, featuring layers of chocolate fudge, bourbon cream and Italian meringue, finished with a drizzle of lime-salted caramel.

Rebecca said her menu was inspired by the cultural influences of the 2026 World Cup host nations of Canada, the United States and Mexico.

"Rather than presenting three separate cuisines, my menu fuses techniques, ingredients and traditions, reflecting how cultures evolve when they meet," she said.

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The competition is regarded as one of Ireland's most prestigious culinary contests for third-level students, challenging young chefs to perform under the same pressure and creativity expected in professional kitchens.

This year's judging panel included Dungarvan chef Paul Flynn of The Tannery, alongside Stefan Matz, Group Executive Chef with the iNua Collection and Cliste Hospitality, and Audrey Crone, Executive Chef Ireland with Unilever Food Solutions.

Rebecca beat off competition from culinary students across the island of Ireland, with Moira Fitzgerald from MTU Cork taking the silver medal and Lesslie Angeles Terrazas Miguel from TUS Athlone winning bronze.