Students at Southern Regional College's Portadown campus have been named runners-up in a further education cooking competition for their project on gluten-free, sustainable baking and waste reduction.

The finals, held at the end of April for the Further Education Project Based Learning sector, asked students to produce gluten-free sweet and savoury traybakes for local businesses while minimising food waste.

The team repurposed peelings and trims by turning apple skins into apple cider vinegar, making chutneys from leftover fruit, and pickling surplus vegetables. Any remaining scraps were composted to provide nutrients for future crops.

Jack Rainer, Harry Brown, Gabriel Monteiro and Arayana Nogueira presented the project to judges in the 'Up to Level Two' category, earning commendations for their effort and creativity.

The college has embedded gluten-free, dairy-free and sustainable practices across its Professional Chef curriculum at both Portadown and Newry campuses.

Lecturer Yvonne McCaghey said customer demand for gluten- and dairy-free products has grown, driven by health, dietary and lifestyle reasons. As a result, the college now prepares all sauces without gluten and makes vegan and gluten-free desserts to ensure dishes are inclusive and appealing.

She added that the students enjoyed researching and adapting recipes, and their success in the competition reflected their hard work and growing understanding of sustainability challenges in the hospitality industry.