Cheshire College – South & West collaborated with the English National Culinary Team, in association with the British Culinary Foundation, for a spectacular Gourmet Evening recently held at Cheshire College’s award-winning Academy Restaurant.
Inspired by Manchester’s famous Northern Quarter, The Academy has restaurants in Cheshire College’s Crewe and Ellesmere Port Campuses, and hosts Gourmet Evenings once a month. The evenings are often booked up 12 months in advance and consist of a 5-course set menu meal alongside pairing wines.
The Academy holds several prestigious industry accreditation accolades, including Gold Accreditation & Centre of Excellence for Food & Beverage Service from People First, and AA ‘Restaurant of the Year’, 2012 & 2019, showing a commitment to excellence and customer service.
The expertise and guidance the England National Team provided staff and learners at Cheshire College’s Academy Restaurant is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression and diners enjoyed the culinary experience and high standards set by the team at Cheshire College.
Shane Guildford, Lecturer in Hospitality and Catering at Cheshire College, commented: “It’s a real coup to gain this collaboration with the England National Culinary Team; to not only inspire our learners with dream career aspirations but to raise the profile of the restaurant and the College. It’s absolutely fantastic and we’re so grateful to Adam and the Team.”
Tutors and learners alike were eagerly anticipating the event, which was led by Team Coach Paul Dickinson, and delivered a culinary experience for paying customers. The team also included Adam Thomason (Captain), Ed Marsh, Jamie Gibbs, David Davey Smith, Tomas Krasnan, Ian Mark and Stacey Harris.
Cheshire College’s Assistant Director of Faculty – Hair, Beauty & Hospitality, Victoria Mulqueen added: “As a team we are so thankful to have had the opportunity to welcome such fantastic industry experts to site who inspired our learners and wowed our guests. Our learners are the future of the hospitality industry, and we are privileged to be the ones helping them grow and develop into talented young adults who will thrive in our industry. We can’t wait to welcome the English National Culinary Team back soon and we wish them the very best of luck for the Culinary World Cup!”
The England National Team made an impression on the Hospitality and Catering learners including Danny Cookson and Abbie Manning with feedback such as:
“I can’t believe I had the chance to work with the National team. My knowledge was broadened throughout the whole day and they took their time to teach me how to develop a dish from start to finish.
“Service during the Gourmet Evening was fantastic! The standard of food we served to our guests was so high and the team were so professional and encouraging. It’s been a great experience for us all having them work with us.”
The Academy Restaurant has previously worked with renowned chefs such as Paul Askew, Adam Smith and Luke Thomas during their Gourmet Evenings. The last one to take place saw James Sherwin, an experimental chef and owner of Wild Shropshire restaurant, join Cheshire College’s Hospitality Team and learners to provide an evening of culinary delight, celebrating what grows and what can be farmed in Shropshire.
The College’s Hospitality and Catering courses enable learners to gain experience and industry skills in the Academy Restaurant, and the opportunity to provide catering and gain experience at corporate events and Gourmet Evenings.
To find more information on the upcoming Gourmet Evenings held at the award-winning Academy Restaurant, visit the College’s website https://www.ccsw.ac.uk/academy-restaurants/ To make a reservation email academy@ccsw.ac.uk or call 01270 654678.