sees him sharing his passion and knowledge to develop food and people across the Education Sector. Rob moved into this role after previously running the catering at Sandhurst for all Royal visits and prestige fine dining.
He explained: "Young chefs need inspiration as it develops interest and accelerates passion. Food is our fuel and within our industry we have one of the most exciting and diverse opportunities for young people to develop their skills, global knowledge and self-confidence.”
And Glenn Evans, who was a finalist in this year's National Chef of the Year, added:: “It’s an absolute privilege to be able to tell my story of how I started out and where I’ve ended up and hopefully inspire the young chefs about what path they could potentially take”
As well as offering students the opportunity to question the chefs directly, they will all be entered in to a competition draw and the winner will spend a day in the kitchen of their choice of one of chefs on the panel.
“I think that it is important to nurture and encourage young people into the industry," said Ruth Hansom. "It can be tough but also just as rewarding which is why it’s important to find the best route for you. It’s key to show young people all the avenues as they are so diverse. Finding an alternative route still within the industry will prevent them from leaving it all together.”
The Staff Canteen wanted to kick off the tour at Westminster Kingsway College which has always been at the forefront of professional education and training.
“We work with some of the best hotels and restaurants in London,” explained Terry Tinton, Centre Director at Westminster Kingsway College. “The Staff Canteen Live college tour is a great opportunity for our students to discuss the hospitality industry and the amazing career opportunities that await them.”
The Staff Canteen will also be donating £1000 to Hospitality Action, ‘which provides a safety net to catch workers if they fall’, on behalf of the chefs on the panel.
“UK hospitality will never resolve its enduring skills shortage until it takes proactive steps to sell itself as a career of choice – and that starts with showcasing why it’s such an amazing sector to work in,” said Mark Lewis, Chief Executive of Hospitality Action.
This is just one of many exciting new projects for The Staff Canteen heading into 2019 and it hopes it can help inspire the next generation of the industry.
Mark Morris, Founder of The Staff Canteen, explained: “Our panel are some of the most successful in the industry today. However, they all began their career in a very similar environment to the students who join the tour either in person or via the live stream. I hope we communicate that our panel have been successful through hard work, and all that is separating the students and them, is a structured career path and a strong work ethic.”
*The Staff Canteen will be announcing more partners for this event in the coming weeks, anyone looking to become a partner in the college tour please email: [email protected] or call 0330 202 1051
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