RSS News| RSS Events| Facebook YouTube Twitter | site map| Get in touch| Accessibility| webmail| Join My Petroc|
Apply Online

News Archive

News Search

A top class catering experience for the chefs of the future

Date: 18th April 2011
  • Ashley Headon and Tuesday McManus Ashley Headon and Tuesday McManus work together to prepare for the Gala lunch
  • Matthew Shepherd and Lewis Clark Matthew Shepherd and Lewis Clark slice the kiwi ready for the fruit salad
  • Ryan Spencer and Jay Chadwick Ryan Spencer and Jay Chadwick use their new knife skills to prep the carrots for the vegetable lasagna
  • The Dorchester Experience Project group The group with their well earned medals

Petroc’s Programme Manager for Institutional Catering, Rob Schubert, is a former chef at the famous Dorchester Hotel in London. After revisiting his former employer and working there for five days in November last year, he was inspired to organise a project for local youngsters to help ignite their passion for high quality cooking.

The overall project brief was to bring a taste of the Dorchester Hotel and its wonderful food and menu to Devon, by teaching the students how to prepare and cook dishes from the Dorchester Hotels' Grill Room menu.

The students, all aged between 14 and 16, are currently undertaking a catering course and attend either Park School, Bideford College or Forches Community Programme. They spent an intensive week in the state-of-the-art kitchens at Petroc’s Barnstaple Campus learning skills which are crucial to becoming a successful chef.

“It’s been absolutely brilliant and I’m really glad I put my name down to do it,” said Jay Chadwick from Park School. “I want to be a chef when I’m older and this has boosted my confidence in knife skills and cooking.”

The ingredients used during the project had been kindly donated by Philip Dennis Foodservices and Edd’s Greengrocers, who were keen to promote the use of fresh, local ingredients. As such, the students were encouraged to try different foods which they may not ordinarily have had the opportunity to try at home or at school.

“It’s been great fun,” said Natasha Tregaskes, Special Education Needs Teaching Assistant (SENTA) at Park School. “They haven’t been afraid to try anything and they’ve learnt about lots of different tastes and textures.”

The project was principally funded by the Aimhigher Peninsular Project which aims to raise the aspirations of young people in the South West and help bridge the gap on to Higher Education.

“Aimhigher gives them the chance to work in a real kitchen and the students have been treated like adults as it’s been more relaxed than at school,” said Natasha.

As a finale to the week, the students put all of their newly acquired skills to the test by preparing and cooking a Gala lunch for their friends and family on Friday 15 April.

Petroc’s Full Time Hospitality students kindly gave up some of their Easter holiday to help out by serving the dishes to the guests. It was wonderful to see the school pupils and college students working together to ensure everything ran smoothly.

The guests were incredibly impressed with the quality and presentation of the food and enjoyed a varied menu including smoked salmon, chicken spirals, waldorf salad, vegetable lasagne and fruit salad.

At the end of the lunch the young chefs were presented with a medal and certificate. Project leader Rob Schubert congratulated them on their hard work and the way in which they had worked together as a team, despite coming from different schools and backgrounds.

It is hoped that as a result of this successful project, the pupils involved will be encouraged to consider a career in catering and be open to the training options available to them, such as an Apprenticeship or full time college course.

If you are interested in Hospitality and Catering courses and Apprenticeships at Petroc, please call the Guidance Centre on 01271 338125.

Have you seen?

More news

What's new