Top Catering Colleges and Chefs’ Forum Academies are Celebrating a Flood of Good GSCE and SQA Results

Top Catering Colleges and Chefs’ Forum Academies are celebrating a flood of good GSCE and SQA results and are preparing to welcome a new influx of students onto their hospitality and catering courses.

The results are a relief for four leading colleges running Chefs’ Forum Academies from England. Wales and Scotland after months of lockdown learning and home-schooling. They reveal how much The Chefs’ Forum initiatives have helped students in these very different times. They shared their thoughts on what the last few months have been like and what they are looking forward to as students begin to return.

Elizabeth Peters, Assistant Principal, Service and Retail Industries at The Manchester College, told us:

“We are delighted with the GCSE results from our students while they have been learning remotely at this difficult time. Resources like The Chefs’ Forum Academy YouTube recipe channel and our recent virtual ‘Couch to College’ open day with The Chefs’ Forum and Simon Wood have been extremely valuable to us.

“They maintain our links with industry to come back even stronger once we are able to invite students and chefs back into the college for the new normal.

Elizabeth went on to say: “We have really enjoyed the messages of encouragement for results day from our Chefs’ Forum Academy chefs and can’t wait to welcome them back to enrich our students learning for the new academic year to deliver cookery masterclasses, whether virtually, or in person, depending on government guidelines.”

Denise Charles, Head of Curriculum, Service Industries at Hammersmith & Fulham College said

“We have celebrated some great GCSE results across our four colleges and my hospitality and catering students have done very well indeed. We have added The Chefs’ Forum Academy YouTube recipe channel and links to our online learning platform.

“Throughout lockdown, my teaching team and I regularly participated in the Chefs’ Quiz each week to maintain contact with chefs who come into the college to teach.

“It was great to see our guest teaching chefs Michael Dutnall MCA from the RAF Club, Soham Sonawane from The Dorchester, Chanaka Fernando from Buddha Bar and Connor McAlpine of Marcus Waring Restaurants, who gave a Front of House Masterclass.

“I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks to Ben Purton from Off To Work for his kind words of encouragement to our students for receiving their exam results today, it was a lovely gesture.  We very much look forward to welcoming the guest chefs back into the college again, the students really look forward to the sessions!”

Gavin George, Chef Lecturer at Coleg Gwent added

“Its been an exciting morning at the college today.  Our students have been very happy with their GCSE results as they were predicted by us as their tutors.  We are very proud of the relentless effort and enthusiasm they have shown over lockdown and we look forward to welcoming them back to the college.  We will produce films of masterclasses with our Chefs’ Forum Academy chefs if we are not able to invite them in while restrictions are still in place. Covid-19 won’t stop us from inspiring and nurturing our students to be the best they can possibly be.”

May Donald, Associate Dean – Culinary Arts & Bakery Hospitality & Leisure at Glasgow College added her thoughts on SQA results in Scotland:

“It has been a challenging academic year all round. Students have faced a great upheaval of delivery and have taken on a new way of learning in an instant. My department and I are very proud of the response to this and the results have replicated their dedication and commitment to their learning journey.”

The Chefs’ Forum is very much looking forward to sending chefs into colleges to teach on a near-national level.  Any chefs wishing to get involved in giving back to the industry and passing on their skills and expertise should email Chefs’ Forum Academy Coordinator Rebecca Saunders: rebecca@redcherry.uk.com

Areas currently running Chefs’ Forum Academies are Bath & Cotswolds, London, South Wales, West Wales and Manchester. We are also launching in Glasgow very soon – We look forward to hearing from you as all great chefs should teach!