Hospitality & Catering Level 1

Mid Devon Campus

Former pupil of Exmouth Community College

While at school in Exmouth, Natasha attended Petroc one day per week on the ‘Links Programme’ to study and practice catering.  She enjoyed it and developed a passion for cooking – when she left school, Petroc was the obvious choice to help her pursue her dream of becoming a chef.

In only her first year at Petroc, Natasha demonstrated her abilities to the degree that she was entered in the Springboard ‘FutureChef’ competition.  She performed extremely well against some impressive competition to reach the second round (hosted at Petroc’s Barnstaple campus).  Her journey in the competition ended there but the experience has fired up Natasha’s determination to do better when she enters next year!  Natasha went on to say: “FutureChef was a tough and inspirational experience but it was a real eye-opener and I am glad I did it.  The experience was invaluable”.

Natasha describes the Tiverton campus as being like her extended family and she feels welcome and supported here.  She plans to progress her education at Petroc and will be undertaking Levels 2 & 3 in Catering.

Her ultimate goal is to become a chef on cruise ship: “I really want to see the world and indulge my passion for creating fantastic food, so this ambition ticks both those boxes’.

Natasha’s advice to anyone considering a career in catering is: “Listen to the lecturing staff very carefully, they have the experience and skills to make your studies here more productive and rewarding”.