Cheers to Beers: A Brew-tiful Day for an Educational Visit to Attic Brew Co.

This week, level 2 and 3 front of house students at South & City College in Birmingham, proud home of a Chefs’ Forum Academy, visited the largest independent brewery in Birmingham for an in-depth tour of the brewing facilities.

Organised and hosted by The Chefs’ Forum Academy Coordinator and Event Executive, Brogen, the students participated in the day as part of The Chefs’ Forum Academy, now in it’s second year at this fantastic Birmingham College.

Brogen said

“This was a fantastic opportunity for front of house students to learn about how and where beer is made and it was lovely to showcase a local brewery and the beer-making process; from grain to glass.  It is wonderful to be able to support our colleges with our national network of producers and manufacturers.”

The Attic Brew Co. site, in Stirchley, currently brews nearly 1 million pints a year, and the students experienced in person the journey from wheat and barley to the brewery’s bestselling ‘Intuition’ 4.4% Pale Ale.

“It was nice to be able to get out of the college and experience the brewery first hand. I found it unexpected and surprising to see the different steps that go into making beer, and very interesting to see the process from start to finish” said Poppy Jane Booth, a Level 2 student.

The Chefs’ Forum Academy delivers masterclasses and sessions that make all areas of the industry accessible to the next generation of hospitality talent, both in the college and off site. This, in turn, shows them that the world of hospitality and catering is truly their oyster, and showcases the many career opportunities that are waiting for them after they complete their education.

“It was great to welcome the students to Attic and give them a tour around our brewery. Hopefully the visit has inspired some students to consider a future career in the brewing industry!” said Harry Gwilliam, Head Brewer, who kindly led the tour on the day.

Sheri Cadwallader, Senior Technician for Hospitality and Catering at South & City College said: “Attic Brew Co. were very welcoming of us and our learners. It was a very informative day and reiterated what the students learn about beer making. It was fun for them to see the process first hand and to experience the sights and smells of a brewery. Thank you, The Chefs’ Forum, for organising another great session for our learners to help them with their qualification and thank you Attic for having us.”

Having recently taken a trip to Birmingham Wholesale Fruit market last month, to yesterday’s brewery trip, the students are now looking forward to a visit to The World of Wedgwood to see how fine bone china tableware is made.

Curriculum enrichment and employer engagement are a top priority for South & City College Birmingham and we know it is making a difference in boosting students’ grades and keeping them motivated and engaged.

Adam Porter, Head of School: Hairdressing, Barbering and Hospitality & Catering said

“The Chefs’ Forum Academy masterclasses, trips and visits have had a massive impact on the development of our students’ technical and wider skills. The masterclasses, menu development days, business market challenges and trips and have added great value to our students’ learning – Our students feel supported, engaged and motivated. The impact has been massive, where students have developed skills, attitudes and behaviours that are valued by employers and we have seen a significant positive increase of higher grades achieved by our students in craft assessments.”