South Staffordshire College celebrates outstanding success at West Midlands Skills Competition 

South Staffordshire College is celebrating the outstanding success of its hospitality and catering students following an exceptional performance at the West Midlands Skills Competition, held at Stoke on Trent College.

In the Level 2 competition, South Staffordshire College achieved an incredible clean sweep of the podium, with Arthur Bick securing first place, Elloise Gray achieving second place, and Lil Webb taking third place. The college is immensely proud of all three students, who represented Team SSC with such professionalism, skill and confidence.

The WorldSkills UK‑endorsed event, hosted at Stoke on Trent College’s Cauldon Campus, brought together Level 2 hospitality and catering learners from both colleges to test their technical skill, precision and professionalism in a live, industry‑standard kitchen environment.

The competition brief challenged learners to complete a demanding fish preparation and cookery task within a 120‑minute time limit. Competitors were required to fillet a flat fish, producing four clean, skinless fillets, before using the bones to prepare a fresh fish stock. Two of the fillets were then cooked and presented as a classic sole “Bonne Femme” dish for judging.

Learners were assessed against industry‑standard criteria, including knife skills, accuracy of filleting, quality of stock production, fish cookery, sauce making, presentation, time management, and strict adherence to food safety, hygiene and health and safety standards.

Following a closely contested competition, Arthur Bick impressed the judging panel with his precise knife work, strong technical execution, excellent organisation and professional presentation, securing first place. Elloise Gray and Lil Webb also delivered consistently high‑quality performances, earning second and third place respectively and underlining the depth of talent within South Staffordshire College’s hospitality provision.

South Staffordshire College also celebrated success in the Level 1 competition, where learners were challenged to produce a minestrone soup designed to showcase knife skills and foundational cookery techniques. Corey Walter and Amy Bloomfield both delivered strong performances, finishing joint third in their category.

Competitions such as this mirror real‑world hospitality environments, giving learners the opportunity to perform under pressure, refine their practical skills and gain confidence in their technical ability. They also play a key role in preparing students for progression into employment or further training within the catering and hospitality industry.

Katie Small, Teaching and Learning Coach at South Staffordshire College, said:
“This competition gave our learners the chance to showcase their skills in a professional kitchen setting and challenge themselves against industry‑led standards. We are extremely proud of how they represented South Staffordshire College.”

WorldSkills UK‑endorsed competitions support the development of high‑level technical skills, confidence and professionalism, while strengthening collaboration between partner colleges.

A huge congratulations to all learners who took part and represented their colleges so positively. Special thanks also go to the staff who supported and prepared students for the competition, helping them to succeed in a high‑pressure, professional environment.