CHEFS at City of Glasgow College hope to taste success in the form of a hat-trick of awards in prestigious national competitions.

Gary Maclean - who has led Professional Cookery students to various recent successes, including first prize at a canapé competition held at Buckingham Palace and judged by the Countess of Wessex - has been shortlisted alongside fellow City of Glasgow College lecturer Kenneth Hett for the Hospitality Educator of the Year Award at tonight's CIS Excellence Awards in Glasgow's Hilton Hotel.

Gary will again go for gold in mid-June, when the winner of the Chef Lecturer of the Year Award is announced at London's Park Lane Hilton Hotel during the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards.

He said: "To be nominated in two of the UK's most important catering awards is unbelievable and very humbling.

"It is a great honour and amazing achievement for both the college and myself.

"Only a few weeks ago, the City of Glasgow College team was cooking at Buckingham Palace against some of the best colleges in England and Ireland - and we won. I work with industry partners to provide such opportunities for my students, and they last year had the chance to work at some of the world's biggest events, such as golf's British Open, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, and Royal Ascot."

Willie McCurrach, Curriculum Head for Food at City of Glasgow College, is in the running for a renowned 'Catey' award, having been nominated in the Educator of the Year category at the Catering and Hotel Keeper Awards set to be held at the start of July.

Willie said: "I am really honoured and delighted to be nominated by my colleagues for such a prestigious award. The guest list on the evening is fantastic with so many industry icons being nominated, so I am really looking forward to attending the award ceremony."