Catering Students Enjoy Busy End to Half Term

Students from our Catering and Hospitality department had a really busy end to their first half term as their learning took them away from College and out and about on various trips!

Firstly, Level 1 Introduction to Hospitality students took a trip to Saltaire, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, to explore local catering outlets as part of the first module they are studying on their course.

Within Salts Mill, students toured the Diner kitchen, and the wider Mill facilities and listed to a fascinating talk by the Sous Chef at Salts Diner, Adrian Bailey. They also enjoyed exploring more about the roles people undertake at a venue like Salts Mill. The group then toured further catering venues within the village to expand their learning further.

Alongside the all-important catering aspect of the trip, this visit encouraged independent travel, buying and looking after tickets, and safe travel throughout the railway and beyond!

Richard Newall, Lecturer in Catering and Hospitality said, “Trips like this are really important to embed the theory we teach in class in a real-world situation. Prior to the trip, students were able to research and come up with questions; giving them a good grounding in developing their communication skills.”

Meanwhile Level 1 Professional Cookery students headed off on a minibus for a whirlwind tour of Rudding Park, Grantley Hall, and The Devonshire Hotel. The trip was aa chance for students to see first-hand the wide array of different jobs and employment opportunities within the hospitality industry.

All three venues shared career progressions and training opportunities – which gave our students some really positive and useful information. Our sincere thanks to everyone at Rudding Park, Grantley Hall and The Devonshire Hotel for being so accommodating and treating our students to full tours of the bedrooms, kitchens, and the leisure and spa facilities.

The day ended with a delicious afternoon tea at The Devonshire Hotel, with the chef coming to speak with our students and one of our apprentices Ewan Picken finding the time to come and talk to students about his journey.

Not only did this trip fit in with a number of core modules, it also gave students a valuable insight into employability with three of our students already making applications for part-time roles!

Richard Newall commented, “It is really important to enable students to compare different establishments and gaining that understand about staffing levels and how operations work behind the scenes is really valuable. We have been working with all three venues for a number of years and we’re really grateful for the ongoing opportunities these relationships provide.”

Find out more about Catering & Hospitality at Craven College or visit us on our upcoming Open Event.