Jody Seed

Winner of the Knorr student chef of the year competition in 2016 and a former student at Southern Regional College in Newry, Jody Seed is currently working at Newry Golf Club.

“Meat is expensive, but nobody needs to eat it every day. If you are buying meat, I’d recommend going to the local butcher and keeping an eye out for the special deals. See if you can swap some items around.

“There are some great basics for student meals, including omelettes and vegetable stir-frys. Pasta bakes are very handy as are mixed salads with basic dressings, though bags of salad are easily wasted and lettuce is easy to grow in little pots. And you can’t beat a cheap and cheerful bolognaise: it’s easy to make and, with tomatoes and vegetables and meat, it is nutritious.

“Avoiding waste is key. A student cooking for themselves is better going to the shops every three or four days rather than doing one big weekly shop. If you pop into the shops at the end of the day, you can pick up the reduced-price food which is about to expire but is still good to eat; you might even pick up a bargain on tuna or fillet steak.

“Poke around and see what is in the shops. Go to the local butcher and local greengrocer. Check the cost per weight and see, for instance, if you get better value on loose onions or onions by a bag – but do consider whether you will really use all those onions. Likewise with items like olive oil, butter or beans: whereas it might be €2.50 for 100ml of oil, it could cost €3.75 for 200ml and, as you’ll use the oil, it makes more sense to buy 200ml.”

Fiona Drought

Winner of the Knorr student chef of the year, 2014, Fiona Drought works with La Rousse on the food development team. She studied culinary arts in Waterford Institute of Technology and then returned to college as a mature student to take on a degree in culinary enterprise at Dublin Institute of Technology.

“Buy raw foods. Yes, processed food is cheap, but it’s also full of sugar and salt and won’t help you to study or perform well in college. You can get good value fruit, vegetables and fish in the budget shops like Lidl and Aldi.

“I go for one-pot wonders: meat, sauce and a carbohydrate like rice or pasta. Tins of tomatoes are your friend. On a very tight budget, you can make a soup that will last for three or four days on as little as €3 to €5.

“If you make a big meal at the start of the week – such as stew or casserole – it can do for several days of dinners or lunches. On warm days in spring or summer, put together a salad, throw in some eggs, coleslaw and tomatoes. Risotto is another cheap staple: you can buy the rice in shops, use some good stock and throw in whatever else is in the fridge (also helping to reduce waste).

“Freezers are excellent if you have them; you can store leftovers and use as convenient. If you aren’t used to getting groceries, have a poke around the supermarkets, butcher or grocer, and familiarise yourself with what’s there.”