Nilai UC grab silver in debut at barista competition.
Yeoh Hui Ern made a name for herself and did her alma mater proud when she bagged runner up spot in the Nestle Milano barista competition recently. She was one of three students from Nilai University College's School of Hospitality and Tourism to take part. Over the two day event, participants were asked to concoct new drink recipes for both hot and cold coffees.
During the finals, participants had to make do with just 40 minutes to prepare completely original beverages to tantalise the judges' tastebuds. Yeoh did just that when she served up hot peach and orange infused black coffee which was furthered enhanced with the addition of black peppercorns in the beans. For the cold coffee, Yeoh blended almonds, mixed nuts, maple syrup, vanilla and assorted spices for a frothy and refreshing iced latte. "I am very pleased with my performance and it has given me the incentive to do better at future meets. I must also thank my lecturers who worked tirelessly to help us prepare for this competition and for their valuable inputs in designing the recipes," says Yeoh.
Aliya Marina Amirudin, Dining Room lecturer at Nilai UC's School of Hospitality and Tourism says that students are encouraged to join as many competitions as they can. This provides them with invaluable hands-on experience and a podium finish always looks good on the students' résumés. "I firmly believe that such hands-on experience will benefit the students greatly. Though many hours of preparation and practice are required to do well in these competitions, it is certainly a worthwhile effort. It"s definitely better than just wasting time chatting on the computer or hanging out aimlessly at mamak stalls or shopping malls," says Aliya.
