A YORK cookery student has won the York College Student Of The Year 2010 title.

Antony Johnson was nominated by his tutors for being an outstanding student who has embraced all opportunities available to him while at college. Using his passion for cooking, Antony has given over and above of his time, learning constantly and building his ambitions for the future.

After winning the Student Of The Month title in October last year. Antony was nominated as the college’s national VQ Learner Of The Year. In February, he visited the Olive Oil Conference in Spain and carried out a cooking demonstration for an audience of delegates from around the world.

During the last six monthshe has been a valuable member of the Nestlé Toque d’Or hospitality team, winning through to the final five (out of 240 colleges). In the final, Antony and his fellow team members, helped to run the Nestlé Toque d’Or restaurant for a day at the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC in Birmingham. Antony said: “I was overwhelmed to hear that I had won the Student Of The Year title. The whole college experience has been great, it has given me a confidence I did not know I had. “The professional cookery course turned my life around and cooking has become the centre of all my hopes and dreams. I hope one day to be working in a Michelin-starred restaurant.”

Antony was awarded a trophy to mark his achievement. His prize was to accompany Dr Alison Birkinshaw, principal of York College, and Salvatore Petruso, head of division for hospitality at York College, to afternoon tea at the Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa in York, followed by a tour of the new five-star hotel.