Celebrating 2025: Seven Years of Culinary Excellence at West London College

As 2025 draws to a close, we are proud to celebrate the successful conclusion of another incredible year for The Chefs’ Forum Academy at West London College. Now in its seventh year of partnership, the academy continues to bridge the gap between education and the professional kitchen, providing students with unparalleled access to industry leaders.

Throughout the year, students have been inspired by a series of high-impact masterclasses delivered by some of the most respected names in the hospitality world.

2025 Masterclass Highlights (to name just a few!):

• Level 2 Fish & National Seafood Competition Prep with Craig Johnston, Head Chef at the Michelin-starred The Angler, Roux Scholar, and MasterChef: The Professionals winner.
• Level 2 Meat Boning-Out delivered by Tom Cook, Head Chef at Smith & Wollensky.
• Mystery Box ‘MasterChef’ Challenge: An intense, creative session evaluated by an elite panel of guest judges:
  • Geanina Rugina, Executive Chef at Louie London
  • Jason Howard, Renowned Chef Consultant
  • Chanaka Fernando, Global Executive Chef at Buddha Bar
  • Sean Simmonds, Culinary Director at Graysons
• Level 3 Game Dish with Santhosh Ravimony, Executive Chef at The Tower Hotel London.
• Level 1 Poached Fish with Mattia Ricci, Executive Chef at Sexy Fish.
• Level 3 Pastry Excellence: An inspiring session with current Student Pastry Chef of the Year, Phoebe Mortimer, who has since joined the world-class team at The Dorchester.
• Industry Insight: An exclusive site visit to the Royal Garden Hotel, giving students a behind-the-scenes look at a major luxury hotel operation.

A Festive Finale

To wrap up the year on a high note, students enjoyed a festive pastry masterclass led by International Pastry Consultant Franciane Tartari. Bringing her vast experience to the colleges Level 2 students, Franciane delivered an immersive masterclass on the traditional Stollen, blending technical precision with holiday spirit.

It served as a perfect summary of the year’s objectives: combining traditional heritage with the modern, exacting standards of the hospitality industry.

This seventh year of partnership has once again proven that by bringing the industry into the classroom, we can inspire the next generation of culinary talent to reach new heights.