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ATU Invites Students to Compete in Healthy Home Chef Competition with Celebrity Chef Neven Maguire
Students across the island of Ireland are gearing up for the highly anticipated 2025 Healthy Home Chef cookery competition, hosted by Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and judged by a panel of experts including award winning chef Neven Maguire.
Students across the island of Ireland are gearing up for the highly anticipated 2025 Healthy Home Chef cookery competition, hosted by Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and judged by a panel of experts including award winning chef Neven Maguire. The competition has a prize fund of €10,000 and offers the opportunity to showcase your dish in front of one of Ireland’s top chefs!
Now in its eleventh year, the competition challenges students from post-primary schools across the Island of Ireland and Youthreach Centres in the Republic of Ireland to showcase their culinary skills by creating nutritious, affordable, and delicious home-cooked meals. Students are asked to submit their entries by Monday 10 March at 5.00pm.
Participants are tasked with preparing a healthy main course dish for two people, emphasising nutrition, sustainability, and creativity. The competition aims to instill a passion for home cooking and promote lifelong healthy eating habits among young people.
Dr Amanda McCloat, Head of Campus at ATU St Angelas, highlighted the importance of the competition: “The Healthy Home Chef competition is a fantastic opportunity for students to develop practical cooking skills, explore nutrition, and gain confidence in the kitchen. Each year, we see an incredible level of talent and innovation from students across the island, and we look forward to welcoming this year’s finalists to ATU St Angelas for an exciting live cook-off.”
This year’s finalists will compete in a live setting on Tuesday, 6 May and Wednesday, 7 May 2025 at ATU St Angelas in Sligo. Under the watchful eyes of a distinguished panel of judges, including renowned celebrity chef Neven Maguire, students will prepare their dishes in real time, bringing their culinary creativity to the forefront. Winners will also be invited to take part in a special Cook Along event with Neven Maguire, with further details to be announced closer to the final.
How to Enter
Students interested in competing must submit their entry by Monday 10 March at 5.00pm and include the following:
- Choose a favourite home-cooked meal and create a healthier version.
- Download the entry form from www.atu.ie or www.athe-ireland.com, or obtain a copy from their teacher.
Joined by a panel of experts, Chef Neven Maguire will once again serve as a judge for the final, bringing his expertise and passion for food to the competition.
“It is fabulous to see the Healthy Home Chef 2025 cookery competition launched which builds on the strong tradition of Home Economics in ATU St Angelas. This is an area very close to my heart and how I wish there was a competition like this when I was starting out! I firmly believe that every student who enters the competition will learn a lot and importantly, have fun doing so. I would like to congratulate ATU St Angelas, Sligo for their work and foresight in this area and also to the many students who have entered over previous years. Thank you to the Association of Teachers of Home Economics (ATHE) who are supporting the competition.”
The Healthy Home Chef competition, supported by the Association of Teachers of Home Economics (ATHE), continues to inspire young people to develop essential cooking skills.
Deadline for applications is March 10 at 5.00pm. For more information and entry details, visit www.atu.ie.
