Students Takeover Devonshire Fell!
Craven College students took over The Devonshire Fell at Burnsall recently, giving them the opportunity to experience running a hotel with paying guests.

Level 2 Culinary Skills students, Level 2 Travel & Tourism students and two Access to FE students on the Travel & Tourism pathway attended The Devonshire Fell on Monday 13 January and Tuesday 14 January to undertake all aspects of the day-to-day running of a boutique hotel. In a bid to support the next generation of hospitality professionals the College students were responsible for running of the whole property and were shadowed by experienced hotel team members gaining vital practical knowledge of running a busy, fully functioning hotel to complement their classroom-based training.
Prior to the takeover, lessons in College included rigorous sessions on all aspects of managing a hotel, from housekeeping to front of house to even laying a table correctly.
The group was split into two teams, with a team leader appointed to each team to allocate roles and supervise their team members throughout their activities.
With two days consisting of Afternoon Tea, four course Dinner plus canapes and breakfast, this was an incredibly intensive learning experience for our students. The Dinner menu was fully created by students, following a rigorous selection process including all Culinary Skills students nominating some dishes, followed by a “Masterchef” style cook off, judged by Head Chef George Marsh together with the General Manager of the hotel.
George Marsh said, “This has been a really nice change of pace to a normal day, it’s been really good to be involved.”



The final selected menu was: Chicken Liver Parfait, Tomato Chutney, and Ciabatta Croute as a starter, followed by a fish course of Tempura Monkfish Tail, Pea Puree, and Tartar Sauce. The main course consisted of Slow Cooked Pork Belly, Creamed Potato, Black Pudding Bon Bon, and Rhubarb Jus, then the meal was rounded off with a Lemon & Ginger Cheesecake with Winterberries. The cheesecake is one of the student’s Grandmother’s recipes, adding a special family feel to the occasion.
Melanie Dawson, Industry Placement Officer said, “This has been a brilliant experience for students. Whilst College and hotel staff have been on-hand to advise, we’ve tried not to interfere to let students organise the day themselves!“
Front-of-House students were given the chance to select which role they most wanted to participate in, Keira said, “It was amazing to see the wide range of jobs. The people have all been really nice. I wanted to have a go at being bar-staff and waiting on tables and I’ve really enjoyed it”.


Sarah Burgess, Lecturer in Travel, Tourism and Aviation added, “The past couple of days at The Devonshire Fell has been an amazing experience for our Level 2 and Access to FE students. To have the opportunity to run a hotel with paying guests has provided the students with real life scenarios and situations, we are very proud of their achievements.
We would like to thank The Devonshire Fell and their staff for allowing us to do this, we are looking forward to the next takeover on the 03 and 04 February and are already looking at how we can develop the experience for 2026!”








We had some amazing feedback from our guests, and we’d like to thank them all not only for attending this event, but for taking the time to give their thoughts on their experiences!
“The students were very attentive and thorough, well done to everyone!”
“Very good. It was a pleasure to watch the young people develop and gain confidence as the evening progressed.”
“The food was lovely and the choice of each dish…delicious! Thanks to all for a wonderful night.”
“10/10 – a menu we both would have chosen, served at a good pace.”
“Great, the students were very attentive. We really enjoyed our stay.”
“We would like to congratulate all the students on their professionalism and wish them all the best for the future.”
“Service was excellent, well-done students!”
“Very good, all staff were polite and courteous, everyone smiled and made us feel welcome. What a great team, keep it up!”
“We thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and the students were very polite and professional.”
“The students should be very proud of themselves, as should the College.”
Craven College students are taking part in another takeover at The Devonshire Fell on 03 and 04 February. The hotel will be open for paying guests to come and join us at the venue to experience either afternoon tea or dinner. Bookings should be made directly with The Devonshire Fell on 01756 729 000.
Title | Level |
---|---|
Access to FE | Level 1 |
Aviation | Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 |
Cabin Crew | Level 2 |
Catering | Level 1, Level 2 |
Professional Cookery | Level 1, Level 2 |
Travel & Tourism | Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 |
Title | Level |
---|---|
Chef de Partie Apprenticeship | Level 3 |
Commis Chef Apprenticeship | Level 2 |
Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship | Level 3 |
Hospitality Team Member Apprenticeship | Level 2 |
Title | Start |
---|---|
70s & 80s Revival Cooking | Tue 3 June 2025 |
Bread Making - Introduction | Tue 25 February 2025 |
Entertaining on a Budget | Tue 22 April 2025 |