UNIVERSITY of West London (UWL) student chefs have reached millions of viewers with their critiquing skills in an ITV series exploring new options for festive tables.

Ditching the traditional turkey, a team of students starred in the final part of ITV's How to Spend It Well at Christmas yesterday (Tuesday, December 15) after joining presenter, Phillip Schofield for a day of testing and debate at the University's Pillars Restaurant earlier this year.

Testing a host of alternatives to the traditional festive meat, the eight foodies all turned restaurant critic to cast their votes on the taste, texture and appeal of vegetarian and fish-based dishes to enjoy with family and friends this Christmas.

Pulling in more than 3 million viewers, the episode was the final in a three-part series focused on food, drink, and luxury festive treats to light up our festive celebrations without breaking the bank.

It also helped showcase the range of talent and facilities open to students at UWL's London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism (LGCHT), which trains hundreds of aspiring chefs and food experts each year.

James Edmunds, Dean of LGCHT said: "This was a great opportunity for our students to be involved in something completely different, giving them the chance to put their critical food skills to the test and use their knowledge of ingredients and flavours in a very exciting setting.

"We know the importance of giving our aspiring chefs access to as many opportunities as possible as they begin to build their careers, so what better way to show off their skills than to get them sharing their opinions with millions of people this Christmas."