#LoveScotlandsColleges: Recipient of the inaugural Andrew Fairlie Scholarship, Emma-Rose Milligan
Ayrshire College is supporting the launch of the #LoveScotlandsColleges national campaign to highlight the importance and strength of Scotland’s colleges.
Students are at the heart of everything colleges do. Here is a profile on one of our talented graduates, Emma-Rose Milligan, who studied Hospitality Management and has already experienced a wide range of incredible opportunities.
Emma-Rose was recently named as the recipient of the inaugural Andrew Fairlie Scholarship.
Here, in her own words during her time at college, is a brief summary of her culinary journey - which began at Ayrshire College.
She said: "I love food and I love cooking. I’ve always been interested in it and I’m good at it. The industry needs new chefs coming through. There are huge opportunities out there and the dream for me is Michelin star dining.
"I learnt all the basics at Ayrshire College. The facilities there are really good. And all the lecturers are amazing, they have personal experience in the industry so their advice comes from that.
"There are so many people that have pushed me and helped me throughout the years, giving me the confidence and the knowledge to progress so far. I wouldn’t be here today without them, particularly the Ayrshire College lecturer Claire Anderson."
Speaking about the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship, she said: "I’m overwhelmed. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. I was shocked that I won, but I’m so grateful to be recognised with this opportunity. I’m really looking forward to it.
"At the first stage, we had to design a menu and cost it – which I learned from the college. That got me through to the finals, where nobody knew what they were required to do until the day itself.
"The main dish, which we had two hours to cook and present, was a mountain hare dish that Andrew Fairlie liked to cook. The judges were looking at your technical ability and how you held yourself in that stressful environment."
#LoveScotlandsColleges