The catering department at The Bournemouth & Poole College is savouring success after receiving an accolade from the world’s leading chefs.
The World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), a global network of top chefs, has recognised The College’s culinary education programme, labelling it one of the best 20 in the world.
The Bournemouth & Poole College catering department has become the first in the UK to be singled out in this way and Adrian Martin, head of hospitality at The College, is elated.
He said: “Our catering department has long been considered one of the best in the country and has won multiple awards and acclaim over the years. However, this award is very different. Firstly it’s an international award and secondly it means we are the first UK college to achieve it - the third in Europe."
“We are all buzzing here. It is not only due to the huge amount of hard work carried out by the staff, but also the work that our students have put in to win some very prestigious competitions in the last two years."
“Our students deserve the credit, alongside dedicated teachers and support staff and this is a fantastic way to recognise years of hard work and passion for the culinary arts in Bournemouth."?
For four decades The Bournemouth & Poole College has been regarded to have one of the best culinary arts programmes in the country and the award comes in a year when The College is celebrating its centenary.
The College has been at the forefront for producing some of the best chefs in Britain, with students consistently winning both national and international awards.
A most recent example is Aaron Potter being presented an annual award of excellence from the Academy of Culinary Arts in a competition that is open to all the best chefs in the UK. Aaron is the first student entrant ever to have won the award. He works at the Trinity Restaurant in London under Adam Byatt.
Adam Byatt is himself a former Bournemouth & Poole College student who has achieved celebrity status, with appearances on James Martin’s Saturday Kitchen. Adam has agreed to formally present the award to The College.
Another reason for its success is that The College prides itself in the quality of its student placements. Currently 12 students are working at The Ritz , four students are at Claridges and three are cooking for Royalty at Buckingham Palace.
In 2011 The Escoffier Restaurant at the Bournemouth Lansdowne campus, which operates as a commercial dining-training restaurant, won "Best Restaurant in Bournemouth" at the Dorset Tourism Awards. This was in contest with 350 professional rival restaurants and it is the first college to ever win such an award.
* The Bournemouth & Poole College has also been awarded the Gold standard by the newly formed Hospitality Guild - the first college in the country to receive this accolade.
