Le Cordon Bleu London 2024 Scholarship winner Caoimhe O’Neill-McGuinness revealed the death of her father sparked her application into the competition and described winning as “unbelievable”.
Eastbourne’s Caoimhe, 18, overcame a final field of 15 to take the victory as a star-studded panel judged the young chefs’ talents.
Following a demo of how to make a Provencal tart by Le Cordon Bleu London’s head cuisine chef Eric Bediat, the finalists had 90 minutes to recreate the dish, without a recipe.
Senior Le Cordon Bleu staff, alongside guest judges Chris Galvin, Emily Roux, Ellie Smith and Emil Minev, opted for Caoimhe as their winner, Michel Roux Jr announcing the result at an awards ceremony and dinner at CORD.
Fiona Fitwe (Belfast) and William Walker-Hardie (Edinburgh) were named runners-up.
Reflecting on her victory, Caoimhe told The Staff Canteen: “It’s quite unbelievable. It’s quite a big prize.
“You don’t think things like that are going to happen to you.”
Discussing her route into cooking, Caoimhe added: “Since a very young age, I’ve always done cooking.
“I started making my own dinner when I was about 13, not by force, just by choice. Ever since then, I’ve just started experimenting.
“I did cooking with my dad. He really liked cooking and then he died in January. Ever since then, I’ve been like I’m going to get really stuck into it.
“Then I saw the scholarship and thought I’m just going to go for it, why not?
“I was brought up that you go to college, you do A levels, you go to uni and have a 9-5 job. But I really didn’t want to do that, so I just went for it.”
Asked if winning the competition had extra meaning given her father Dax’s recent passing, Caoimhe said: “That’s why I applied for it. I thought he would’ve loved to do this, so I’m just going to go for it.”
Starting in January 2025, Caoimhe will now enjoy a host of perks as a result of winning the scholarship, in a prize package said to be worth £60,000. She will pursue Le Cordon Bleu’s renowned Grand Diplome, combining both cuisine and patisserie training, along with a coveted internship at CORD, mentoring from Michel Roux Jr and accommodation in London for a year.
Further prizes include work experience at Galvin Restaurants with mentorship from chef patron Chris Galvin and a behind-the-scenes trip to Andros HQ in France.
Discussing her experience of the competition, Caoimhe said: “The first round was you just had to apply online and had to fill out a questionnaire of why you want to cook and why you want to study at this school.
“After that, they got it down to 32 semi-finalists. We had to go up to Le Cordon Bleu in London and they did an interview and a taste test with different chocolates, making us guess the flavours.
“A few weeks later we got an email saying we had been narrowed down to finalists. After that, we went to the finals.
“We weren’t really told much about it.
“I was very nervous. I think everyone was. But when you’re cooking in that final, you don’t really have time to be nervous. As soon as you start cooking, you just forget and you’re focusing on the dish.
“We didn’t know who was going to judge us. I didn’t realise it was such top chefs, so it was a shock when you walked in and saw them all there.”
Reflecting on the moment she was announced as the winner, Caoimhe said: “I was very shocked, definitely. I think you prepare yourself to not win, so then you’re not disappointed.
“So then when I did hear my name, it was like, no way.
“My mum was there with me at the final and she was obviously very excited. She’s very proud of me and I’ve had a lot of messages from people that I don’t even speak to. I feel a bit like a celebrity!
“I’m extremely lucky I’ve been handed this opportunity that hardly anyone will ever get to experience in their life.”
Caoimhe studied at St Richard’s Catholic College in Bexhill, before deciding A levels were not for her, instead leaving school and taking up a role as a commis chef at a local restaurant.
Asked what she would like to achieve in the industry and who she looks to for inspiration, Caoimhe said: “Everyone wants to have their own business, but I’d love to do workshops with people who are less fortunate.
“My mum teaches blind children, so I’d love to do workshops for blind people as well, or young children that maybe don’t have those opportunities that other people might.
“To be completely honest, I’m on TikTok a lot, looking at TikTok recipes. Just all of the big chefs. I don’t think there’s one specific person I look at.
“There’s a lot of female chefs that are very inspiring, because there’s a lack of those.
“I’m glad that I’m going to start to represent other female chefs around.”
Emil Minev, culinary arts director at Le Cordon Bleu London, said: "Caoimhe truly stood out for her passion, drive, and she presented an excellent dish in the finale.
"We are excited to see what she will achieve in her culinary career. This competition is a testament to the incredible future that awaits the next generation of chefs, and we are honoured to be part of Caoimhe’s journey."
