Wedding Day is ‘Icing on the Cake’ for SERC Professional Cookery Couple

A young couple from Lisburn who met during their studies at South Eastern Regional College (SERC) have recently got married.

Anthony Wylie (27) and Jade Smyth (26) came to SERC in 2008 to take part in the Junior Chef Academy, unbeknown to either that’s where they would meet the love of their life. The couple, who started dating in 2011, went on to enrol in Levels 1, 2 and 3 in Professional Cookery before progressing to the catering apprenticeship at the College.  

Anthony proposed to Jade after they enjoyed a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon during a trip of a lifetime to the USA in August 2017.

The happy pair tied the knot at the award winning Larchfield Estate in Lisburn. SERC was very much at the heart of their big day, with their SERC Lecturer Ruth Doherty making the all-important, show stopping, wedding cake. Ruth said, “I was honoured to be asked to play a small part in their special day and it is heart-warming to see how successful and happy my previous students are today.”

With professional qualifications under their belts, the former St Patricks Academy pupil, Anthony, is a Sous Chef at The Lock Keepers Cottage in Belfast and Jade is a Junior Sous Chef at The Merchant Hotel.

Anthony said, “Without the course I wouldn’t be where I am now, and I am grateful for the high level of education I received at SERC.”

Jade said, “I took part in the Junior Chef Academy and this fuelled my appetite for the sector. I got to compete at Stormont Buildings in front of Ainsley Harriot and Michael Dean. Meeting my future husband on the course was the bonus. Anthony and I were friends from the beginning. We immediately hit it off and found out we had similar interests.”

She added, “SERC is a wonderful College and the tutors are very supportive, so much so that they were guests at our big day. I can’t thank Ruth enough; our wedding cake was spectacular.”