Chelmsford College Learner Travels to Italy for Catering Competition Final!

Daniel Cave, one of Chelmsford College’s Level 2 catering learners, successfully made it to the final of the ultimate catering competition for colleges, CombiGuru! His hard work and talent led to him competing in the finals all the way in Italy on the 22nd April 2026 at the Unox HQ, with a trip to Venice too!

Daniel’s CombiGuru journey began with an App Challenge in which participants had to answer culinary questions. Winning top place in the first round, one of CombiGuru’s representatives visited Chelmsford College to present Daniel with the exciting news. He had earned a place in the finals at the Unox HQ, competing in the Oven Challenge!

Representing Chelmsford College in the finals, Daniel travelled to Italy with his lecturer Hilary Hicks, and his dad. Competing against the finalists from the other colleges, Daniel had just 3 hours to prepare a first course and a dessert. The judges held a finalist assembly where it was announced Daniel amazingly came second place earning a well-deserved spot on the podium! On top of what was already a wonderful trip, Daniel, his dad and Hilary all got to visit the floating city of Venice, tasting its delicious cuisine and experiencing the unique sights and Italian culture.

Chelmsford College is so proud of Daniel for coming second place in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! With over 5000 competing students and over 200 registered colleges in the App Challenge, the competition was fierce. Daniel won a professional knife with the competition logo offered by partner company Maglionero, for making it to the podium.

On top of the thrilling experience for Daniel, CombiGuru also offered the teachers accompanying the finalists an amazing opportunity. They had the chance to participate in free training sessions on the latest culinary technologies and trends at Unox HQ.

Speaking on the success of the competition, Hilary Hicks said "It truly was a wonderful experience topped with Daniel being awarded second place. What an amazing achievement.