Taylor’s Students Set Table with Style

Two Taylor's College School of Hospitality & Tourism (TCHT) Diploma in Hotel Management students beat out four professional hoteliers to win first and second place for “Theme Table Setting” in the Internasionale Food Exhibition KL Competition 2006.


Champion Lim Ying Yee and first runner-up Stanley Lim impressed the judges with their skills and creativity in setting a table to the theme of “Valentine’s Day” in one hour.

Despite it being their first-ever competition and competing against professionals from Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, Nikko Hotel, Hotel Istana and Corus Hotel, Ying Yee and Stanley stayed confident and focused.

After the organisers released the table setting theme a week before the competition, both students brainstormed ideas, conducted research, got advice from their lecturers, shopped for the right materials and spent many hours practicing.

“I came up with a non-traditional Valentine’s Day concept because I wanted my table setting to be unique and stand out,” said Ying Yee. “So instead of using traditional colours like red, pink and white, I chose purple and silver.”

Stanley on the other hand chose to go with a blend of maroon and pale yellow for his table setting. His concept was based on Valentine’s Day in a fairy-tale land during olden times.
Although aiming to do their best, both students never expected to win.

“It was a huge surprise, but of course a very good one. This is a positive beginning for me and inspires me to improve myself further,” said Ying Yee.

So how did a couple of amateurs beat more experienced industry professionals?

“Definitely thanks to the help and guidance from our dedicated lecturers,” Stanley said.

“We couldn’t have done it without the strong training we’ve undergone during our studies. We’ve been taught to pay attention to every detail from the start right up to the finish,” Ying Yee explained.

In addition to a trophy and certificate, Ying Yee and Stanley walked away with cash prizes of RM500 and RM300 respectively.

The Internasionale Food Exhibition KL Competition 2006 was held in September at 1 Utama Shopping Centre. Participants were judged based on: processes of preparation, preparation for presentation, use of proper table setting techniques, eye for detail and creativity.