After a hotly contested cook-off at University of West London Friday 4th April Loughborough College were crowned champions of Zest Quest Asia 2025. The judging was extremely close and all judges agreed the standard improves each year, but after all colleges had cooked their four course menus, it was agreed that Loughborough College should take this...
LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE WIN ZEST QUEST ASIA 2025
April 8, 2025by zestquestasia
After a hotly contested cook-off at University of West London Friday 4th April Loughborough College were crowned champions of Zest Quest Asia 2025. The judging was extremely close and all judges agreed the standard improves each year, but after all colleges had cooked their four course menus, it was agreed that Loughborough College should take this year’s title. Their prize is a culinary themed trip to Hong Kong courtesy of headline sponsors Lee Kum Kee.
The full list of this year’s winners is below:
| Award | Winner | Sponsor | Prize |
| Winners Zest Quest Asia | Loughborough College | Lee Kum Kee (Europe) Ltd | Culinary trip of a lifetime to Hong Kong |
| Runners up | Sheffield College | Grande Cuisine Academy | An educational two day culinary trip to Lyon taking in the culture of this fantastic city |
| Most Successful Lecturer in ZQA History | Nathan Vasanthan University of West London |
Chefi | 1 x Knife Roll with utensils inside |
| Murray Chapman Least Wastage Award | Loughborough College | Master Chefs of Great Britain | £600 of Russums vouchers (£200 per student) |
| Best Menu planning | Loughborough College | Ian MacLeod Distillers | 4 x bottles of Glengoyne 10 years old whisky |
| Andrew Bennett Teamwork Award | Milton Keynes College | Zest Quest Asia | £100 per student of Russums vouchers plus Katana Saya Olive Wood Handled Chef knife for each student and the lecturer |
| Best Menu Presentation | The Sheffield College | Tokyo College of Sushi and Washoku, London | Japanese knives with winner’s name engraved |
| Most Sustainable Menu | University of West London | Meiko UK Limited | Meiko Undercounter Dishwasher to College |
| Best Use of Panasonic Accelerated Combination Oven | Milton Keynes College | Panasonic | Panasonic Accelerated Combination Oven for College
A bespoke all-day class and Dashi journey in Japanese Kaiseki with Chef Akemi (for the three students and their lecturer). |
| Best Use of Tilda Rice | Milton Keynes College | Tilda Foodservice | Win an unforgettable Tilda Foodservice rice experience! Learn all about the fascinating journey of rice— uncovering its origins, discovering where it’s grown, how it’s milled, packed, and transported around the globe. Then, enjoy an exclusive one-on-one cooking session with the legendary rice master, Cyrus Todiwala, creating culinary masterpieces together. The prize finishes with an evening’s feast of the dishes you created. Tilda trophies (1 per competitor?) 3 x hampers |
| Best Use of Lee Kum Kee’s Premium Mushroom Seasoning Powder | University College Birmingham | Lee Kum Kee (Europe) Ltd | Three months’ supply for the college of Premium Mushroom Seasoning Powder and a live tutorial at their college cardboard cutout |
| Best Use of Lee Kum Kee’s Premium Oyster Sauce | New College Durham | Lee Kum Kee (Europe) Ltd | Three months’ supply for the college of Premium Oyster Sauce and a live tutorial at their college |
| All finalists | Master Chefs of Great Britain | Aprons and Tea Towels | |
| All finalists | Tilda Foodservice | Tea Towels |