Shane McDermott, who completed his NVQ qualification in 1999/2000, is now Chef De Partie at the prestigious Castle Leslie, Co. Monaghan. He spent his apprenticeship on placement at the city's Exchange Restaurant, there was given valuable opportunities to work in different sections of the kitchen and prepare a wide selection of dishes. He moved to Castle Leslie in 2004 and works under Head Chef Noel McMeel.

"AQTS gave me a solid foundation to build on and continue with my career as a Chef. Moving to Castle Leslie and working with Noel has allowed me access to a variety of fresh, local and organic produce and it has given me great respect for food. I love coming back to AQTS and meeting the other young people who are training for the industry. It is a great industry to be in and AQTS is definitely the best starting point."