North Hertfordshire College’s Hospitality & Catering students recently enjoyed a day packed full of activities with some fantastic guest speakers as part of an upskilling day with the Master Chefs of Great Britain!
The day started off with a chocolate masterclass with Shona Sutherland, an Olympic Chocolatier who works with the British team. She led a demonstration session that saw her craft some amazing chocolate creations that not only tasted amazing, but which looked outstanding too! The session made a positive impression on our learners. Maddie Grady, Level 2 Professional Cookery student, commented: “It was amazing to watch and learn from a master chocolatier. I feel inspired to see the different routes I could take into a culinary profession.”
Following the session, our learners enjoyed a presentation about mental health in the hospitality industry from the Burnt Chef Project. This is an important topic for our learners to keep in mind when they start their careers, as the hospitality sector can often be a stressful environment. The Burnt Chef Project shared tips on how to look after your own mental health and how to support colleagues who may be struggling, as part of their work towards meaningful change in the sector. Our learners regularly enjoy sessions with the Project throughout the academic year, too, to reinforce the important message.
To round the day off, our student chefs and hospitality professionals took part in a workshop with Kirstie Young on how to take amazing photos of their dishes with just their phones! As building a brand becomes ever more crucial when it comes to creating a name for yourself in the industry, the insight our learners received from the session will help them to take good quality photos that match the high standards of their creations.
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All in all, the day of workshops has left our young chefs and hospitality team feeling inspired and ready to apply their new skills to their next challenges. Kacper Rudzinski, who is currently working towards his Level 3 Professional Cookery qualification, summarised his experience and his learning by saying: “Thursday was truly an eye-opening and fantastic opportunity from the Master Chefs of Great Britain. Master chocolatier Shona Sutherland amazed me with the amount of skill and precision it takes to make chocolates! A heartfelt talk from the Burnt Chef project and their journey to break stigma around mental health was truly inspiring. I was amazed by the photos I was capable of taking with just my phone. It was an eventful day and an incredible experience.”
Many thanks again to the Master Chefs of Great Britain for engaging with our learners through these activities!
If you’re interested in starting your own career in the Hospitality & Catering sector, check out North Hertfordshire College’s Hospitality & Catering courses. With NHC, you can stay close to home and access amazing opportunities to help you go far in your future career.