North Hertfordshire College’s Level 1 Catering Students were recently visited by James Birch, a Development Chef at Unilever and Dominic Kuk, part of the Marketing team for food and beverage giant, Knorr. James kindly delivered a captivating demonstration and a talk to the students, sharing his knowledge of key culinary skills and offering insight into the future of the industry.
James’ talk began with a bit of background on Unilever, who they are, what they do and how they operate within the culinary sector.
Our learners were then gripped by James’ interactive introduction to tasting, as he explained the importance of a well-developed palate. James went on to discuss how to discern basic tastes from sweet and sour to umami (the savoury taste of foods), explaining how these elements enhance the flavour of dishes. Our learners were particularly enlightened by the tasting of Knorr Bouillon in application. Yum!
James ended his visit by expressing the importance of trend reports and their vital role in the modern culinary industry. The concept of ‘Future Menus 2023’ was bought to life with a special focus on current trends such as sustainability and low waste practices.
The visit was a resounding success and served as an excellent introduction to an alternative route within the culinary industry.
Level 1 Catering student, Darius Roberts said: “I had a great time today with Chef James Birch from Unilever. I learned how regular powdered stocks and bouillons were so vital in elevating the taste and flavour of a dish. We also learned ways to prevent waste in the kitchen by reusing typical waste produce. I found it very interesting and had a lot of fun!”
While our students hugely enjoyed themselves, our visitors spoke highly of their own experience with our learners.
James Birch, Development Chef at Unilever said: “Both Dominic and myself found it personally very inspiring and insightful to see some of the fantastic work done to embed and develop key skills for the real benefit our collective industry’s future.”
Visits from seasoned industry experts like James and Dominic serve as invaluable opportunities to enhance student learning and ignite inspiration for their future careers. As a result, our aspiring culinary professionals are now better equipped to make meaningful contributions in shaping the future of the culinary sector.
Thank you to James and Dominic for coming to speak to our students!
If you’re interested in starting your own journey in the hospitality & catering industry, check out North Hertfordshire College’s Hospitality & Catering courses! With NHC, you can Stay Close to home and access amazing experiences, helping you Go Far in your future career.