Favourit connects hospitality leaders with future talent

Favourit has brought together a number of Northern Ireland’s best-known chefs and restaurant operators with first year students from Ulster University’s BSc Culinary Arts Management course as part of a wider push to help connect emerging talent with potential employers.

The event saw students prepare food for invited hospitality professionals before speaking with them directly about their ambitions, interests and the realities of working in the sector.

Guests included Ryan Jenkins of Roam, Kyle Stewart of Yugo, Ronan Sweeney of Balloo Inns, Tim Fetherston of General Merchants, Andy Rea of Home, Ian Hunter of Mourne Seafood, Saul O’Reilly of Taylor & Clay, Colm Oates of The Garrick Bar, and Conor Brennan of Lasa.

The gathering was created by Favourit as an additional element of its ongoing partnership with Ulster University and was designed to give students direct access to industry figures who are passionate about developing and retaining local talent.

Alongside hearing from the students and tasting their food, those attending also spoke about their own love of cooking, the dishes and ingredients that inspire them, and what they look for in young people entering hospitality.

Favourit is currently in its second year of working with students on Ulster University’s BSc Culinary Arts Management course, having renewed the collaboration after the success of the 2025 initiative. As part of the partnership, students are challenged to create dishes using Favourit’s herbs, spices and seasonings, with a £1,000 bursary set to be awarded in September to the highest-scoring student.

Sarah Kennedy from Favourit said: “At Favourit, we are passionate about supporting the future of hospitality in Northern Ireland, so bringing students and industry professionals together felt like a natural step for us.

“What was so encouraging was seeing just how engaged the students were. These are young people who clearly care about food, who are curious, switched on and eager to learn. They are not here to tick a box. They genuinely want to be in this industry, and that came across really strongly in the room.

“We also know how important it is to keep talent in Northern Ireland. There is incredible ability coming through, and by creating opportunities for students to meet respected chefs and restaurant owners early on, we can help build those connections and open doors.”

The wider Favourit partnership with Ulster University remains ongoing, with the highest-scoring student on the BSc Culinary Arts Management course set to receive a £1,000 bursary in September.