The Exclusive Chefs’ Academy to host ‘Master Chef meets Hell’s Kitchen’ lunch

The Exclusive Chefs’ Academy is to host a ‘Master Chef meets Hell’s Kitchen’ style lunch tomorrow with their executive chef Andy Mackenzie and current MasterChef The Professionals Champion, Steven Edwards taking part in a judging panel; along the Academy chefs, producers and suppliers – to be held at South Downs College, Waterlooville.

The Exclusive Chefs’ Academy is an all new two year intensive training programme, delivering a rare opportunity for aspiring chefs to learn in two years what would typically take five years if they were to undertake their own separate placements across the industry. It also takes the chefs though the entire plot to plate experience and puts them through their paces in terms of both supplier visits, theory, masterclasses and ultimate cooking for some extremely high profile guests in the Michelin-level kitchens of the Exclusive Hotels and Venues portfolio of hotels and restaurants.

Andy MacKenzie is Executive Chef of the Exclusive Chefs’ Academy which offers aspiring junior chefs a two-year life-changing intensive training programme that paves the way for a successful career in the restaurant industry.

The Master class begins from @StevenEdwards86 The master chef lots of great ideas for tomorrow's showcase pic.twitter.com/5rAEE3jZPy

— Exc. Chefs Academy (@ExcChefsAcademy) November 18, 2014

Chefs within the Academy - developed by MacKenzie for Exclusive Hotels and Venues - have the opportunity to learn from Exclusive’s award-winning chefs, including two-Michelin-star head chef Michael Wignall at The Latymer at Pennyhill Park in Surrey, one Michelin-star executive chef Richard Davies at The Bybrook at The Manor House, Castle Combe, and current MasterChef The Professionals winner, Steven Edwards, who is head chef at The Camellia in South Lodge near Horsham.

Designed to tackle the issues of chef recruitment and retention head on, the Academy has been carefully constructed to provide a complete plot-to-plate education for the chefs, including supplier visits, theory, supervisory skills workshops and masterclasses as well as cooking for the high profile guests within the banqueting and restaurant kitchens of Exclusive Hotels and Venues.

Andy is always on the lookout for hungry, talented and motivated chefs who have the passion and determination to go far. He describes the Exclusive Chefs Academy as ‘no walk in the park’ and a ‘tough challenge’ but one that will absolutely pay off for the candidates luckily enough to secure their place given that it offers a rare opportunity for the chefs to ‘learn in two years what might typically take five.’

The current 2014 programme, launched in July 2014, has 13 chefs enrolled from colleges and universities across the UK and from within the Exclusive group of hotels and venues. In securing their place, the candidates had to complete a rigorous online application form, two skills tests and an onsite assessment day to demonstrate their commitment to the programme. Applications for 2015 will open in April 2015.

Head over to the website for further details and follow the action on twitter @ExcChefsAcademy