Award winning chefs, food-writers and a star of MasterChef: The Professionals will visit Ulster University’s Academy Restaurant this year to host culinary masterclasses with culinary arts and hospitality management students.
The popular Culinary Salon series, which invites members of the public to enjoy a menu curated by celebrity chefs and Ulster University students returns on Thursday 6 February with cook, food-writer and stylist Georgina Hayden.
A regular guest on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and BBC 1’s Saturday Kitchen, Georgina is a household name in Greek and Cypriot cooking, with her latest book, Greekish, becoming an instant Sunday Times bestseller in 2024.
Georgina worked alongside Jamie Oliver for 12 years, writing recipes for books and TV, and in 2021 won the Fortnum & Mason Best Cookery Writer Award for her work in Waitrose Food magazine.
As well as her sold-out Culinary Salon, Georgina will lead a food styling workshop with Ulster University students studying on the Culinary Arts Management and International Hospitality Management courses.
Speaking ahead of the event, Georgina said:
“I'm thrilled to be visiting Ulster University to kick off the Culinary Salon series. I've always loved the opportunity to teach and pass on knowledge to those wanting to explore other aspects of the food world.”
Delivered in partnership with the Oxford Cultural Collective and supported by the Savoy Educational Trust, the Culinary Salon series will also feature an evening with Mark Hix, celebrated chef, award-winning food writer, and star of the BBC’s Great British Menu.
Frequently lauded as one of Britain’s most eminent chefs and restaurateurs, the award-winning food writer ran his renowned HIX restaurants, between 2008 and 2024. He now offers bespoke food experiences in his home county of Dorset.
With 12 cookbooks to his name and a double award-winning column in the Telegraph, Mark Hix is known for his original take on British gastronomy and unrivalled knowledge of ingredients with provenance, an approach he will share with Ulster University students at his Culinary Salon on Tuesday 4 March.
Italian chef Danilo Cortellini, former head chef at the Italian Embassy in London and 2015 finalist on BBC 2’s Masterchef: The Professionals will visit Belfast on 1 April to craft his own menu.
Now a chef consultant and content creator, Danilo will bring the classic comfort of Italian food but with a twist of adventurous new flavours to his Culinary Salon, which is expected to be another sell-out event at Academy Restaurant.
Ulster University’s Department for Hospitality Tourism and Events Management will use the opportunity to honour the legacy of the late Antonio Carluccio, Italian chef, restauranteur and food expert known as “the godfather of Italian gastronomy”.
Attending the event will be Sabine Stevenson, founding trustee of the Antonio Carluccio Foundation which honours his legacy. The foundation provided generous financial support to Ulster University to run an outreach programme which to date has engaged 600 pupils
to consider studying in the fields of Hospitality and Culinary Arts Management.
Having renewed its partnership with Ulster University, the Antonio Carluccio Foundation donated Antonio’s personal book collection of over 300 titles, some of which are personally annotated, to the department.
Tickets to the Danilo Cortellini Culinary Salon event on Tuesday 1 April, will go on sale in the coming weeks.
Professor Ioannis S. Pantelidis, Head of the Department of Hospitality Tourism & Events Management said:
“We are honoured to welcome such renowned chefs and food writers to Ulster University. This is an exciting opportunity for our exceptional Culinary Arts Management and International Hospitality Management students to gain valuable insights from such acclaimed individuals. Through the Culinary Salon Series, we strive to connect our students with influential leaders in the food industry, exposing them to diverse perspectives and experiences. Our goal is to inspire them to cultivate their own leadership and management style as they prepare to shape the future of the hospitality and culinary sectors.”
Angela Maher, Chief Executive, Savoy Educational Trust:
“The Culinary Salon series at Ulster University is a wonderful initiative and one the Savoy Educational Trust is delighted to support. Each Salon is a unique experience for guests, offering an opportunity to engage in conversation with really interesting speakers and leading lights in the culinary world. More importantly, students also get to learn from the very best and showcase their talents to the outside world. I am so looking forward to attending on Thursday.”