Students get the Michelin star experience

Aspiring chefs studying Level 3 professional cookery at Worcester College of Technology will today start their weeklong work experience in a number of fine eateries in London including a Michelin starred restaurant as part of the ongoing effort by the College to gain students exceptional work experience to improve their job prospects.

Last year student Alex Easterby was one of 13 students from the College to win an award at the national competition Wessex Salon Culinaire, winning silver for his dish in the vegetarian pasta category. Alex will now be undertaking his work experience at the Michelin starred Locanda Locatelli restaurant, owned by renowned chef Giorgio Locatelli, where he will work alongside some of the country’s top chefs. Talking about the trip he commented “I’m really looking forward to being able to learn some new skills and get a glimpse at how such a prestigious restaurant works. Hopefully I’ll get a few good recipes too”.

Overall there are 8 students undertaking work experience on the trip organised by the College, all working in restaurants chosen especially to gain the students skills for their future career. Student Emily Morgan commented “I have learnt so much while doing cookery at the College. In London I’ll be working for an events catering company which is want to go into when I finish my course. My lecturers looked really hard to find me a placement with a company that did events catering to help me gain the skills I need and I’m really excited!”

Lecturer Nick Bryan commented “wherever possible we help students find a suitable work experience environment to challenge their current skills learnt in class. Once a year we take the students to London to enable them to work in restaurants much larger than found locally. We ask students what they would value most from work experience and then aim to pair them with restaurants which match those requirements”.

While in London the students will be joined by classmates studying on a level 2 qualification who will be undertaking the same work experience programme next year as part of their course. In their little free time the students will be finding out more about the fast paced industry and sampling food at a number of the capital’s finest restaurants.

If hearing about what the students at Worcester College of Technology are getting up to has made you hungry for more, you can visit the College during their open evening on Wednesday 25^th January between 5pm and 8pm to find out how a course at the College can help you on to a better career.