Young London Students Discover the Flavours of Wild Alaska Seafood at Hospitality Industry Taster Day

Students from local secondary schools were given an exciting introduction to the world of hospitality yesterday (3^rd September 2026) at the Hospitality Industry Taster Day at West London College, an annual event designed to inspire the next generation of chefs, hospitality professionals and food innovators.

The event welcomed 200 pupils from Years 8, 9 and 10 from local feeder schools, offering them a hands-on opportunity to explore careers in hospitality while discovering the remarkable quality and flavour of Wild Alaska Seafood.

Organised in association with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), the event showcased the versatility and sustainability of species such as Alaskan salmon and pollock, demonstrating how these responsibly harvested seafoods can be transformed into delicious and accessible dishes.

One of the highlights of the day was a tasting experience led by Chef Carniel, who worked alongside talented hospitality students from West London College to prepare two elegant Alaska seafood canapés:

Alaska Pollock Croustade VIEW RECIPE

Alaska Pink Salmon Skewer VIEW RECIPE

These bite-sized creations featured Wild Alaskan salmon and pollock, carefully crafted to introduce younger palates to new flavours and textures.

Chef Carniel Levy said

“It was fantastic to work alongside the students from West London College to create these canapés and to showcase the incredible quality of Wild Alaska seafood. Alaska salmon and pollock are beautiful products to cook with; clean, sustainable and full of flavour, so they’re perfect for introducing young people to great seafood.

What made the day especially rewarding was seeing the reaction from the visiting students. Many were trying these species for the first time, and you could see how much they enjoyed discovering new flavours. Being able to talk about where the fish comes from, how it’s responsibly harvested and why provenance matters is just as important as the cooking itself. Events like this are a brilliant way to inspire curiosity about food.”

The canapés were enthusiastically received by the visiting students, many of whom were tasting these premium seafood species for the first time. The dishes demonstrated how sustainable seafood can be both nutritious and exciting, offering young people a fresh perspective on the possibilities of cooking and eating fish.

Ellie Taylor, representing Wild Alaska Seafood presented a video to the audience showing the people and families behind the organisation and spoke about the provenance and sustainability of the fish species, while the students enjoyed the canapes, she said

“It was wonderful to see so many young people discovering the flavour and versatility of Wild Alaska seafood. Alaska salmon and pollock are among the most sustainably managed fisheries in the world, caught in the pristine waters of Alaska and carefully protected for future generations.

Alaska pollock is actually one of the most abundant and versatile whitefish species globally and found in fish fingers and even McDonald’s Fillet-O-Fish, while Wild Alaska salmon is renowned for its rich flavour and natural nutrition, including high levels of omega-3s. Introducing these products to students at an early stage helps build awareness of sustainable seafood choices.

We’re incredibly grateful to Chef Carniel and the West London College students for preparing such delicious canapés, they were beautifully presented and clearly very well received by the young guests.”

Adding a touch of luxury to the tasting experience, the canapés were finished with beautiful, best-selling Imperial Gold Caviar (from sustainable, high-welfare farmed sturgeon), that are milked for their eggs (not killed) and Wild Salmon Caviar, kindly sponsored by Beleaev Caviar Gourmet. It was a delicate garnish that elevated the dishes while sparking students’ curiosity about different seafood products and culinary techniques.

Denise Charles, Head of Curriculum for Hospitality, Catering and other Service Industries was delighted to welcome the feeder schools to the college for the sixth year in a row, she said

“It was a real pleasure to host the 6th Annual Chefs’ Forum Hospitality Industry Taster Day at West London College in association with Wild Alaska Seafood. The event continues to grow year on year, and we were delighted to welcome the greatest number of feeder schools we’ve ever had taking part.

Our aim is always to give young people a genuine insight into the hospitality industry while allowing them to experience high-quality ingredients and professional cookery first-hand. Seeing their enthusiasm as they tasted the canapés and interacted with chefs and students made it clear what a valuable and inspiring experience the day was for everyone involved.”

Beyond the tasting session, the programme also provided a broader insight into the hospitality industry. The day featured demonstrations on The Chefs’ Forum Demo Stage, powered by CookTek Induction, from MCS Technical Products and Unox Bakerlux and presentations from leading chefs and hospitality professionals, including an interactive mocktail demonstration by award-winning Bar Manager Salvatore Maggio from One Aldwych.

Executive Chef Mattia Ricci (Sexy Fish Mayfair) cooking prawn gyoza dumplings on stage – VIEW RECIPE

Mattia has just hosted four students from West London College at Sexy Fish Mayfair – Read all about it HERE

Santhosh Ravimony (Tower Hotel) demonstrating his diverse burger menu with the help of the students to build them.

Our Pure Ionic Water Chef of the Week, Clanny Rodrigues (Sexy Fish) got the students to create his classic and highly theatrical fruit platter with signature strawberry cheesecake and chocolate fondant.

The demo chefs and audience were kept hydrated throughout the event with Pure Ionic hydrogen-rich, alkaline water that has been installed in the college kitchens.

All students from the ten schools present, who joined the chefs and mixologists on stage, received a copy of The Chefs’ Forum’s book, The Chefs’ Knowledge, as a reward for representing their schools and showcasing their culinary and mixology skills.

The students also enjoyed live performances by young rapper Sabodi, who freestyled over the latest big tracks. This lifted the atmosphere between demonstrations and kept the students excited and engaged – It was clear the young guests really loved this element, which turned the event into a show!

Through live cookery demonstrations, interactive activities, and tasting opportunities, the event aimed to motivate young people to consider hospitality as a rewarding career path and explore learning pathways at West London College, while also increasing awareness about the importance of sustainable seafood.

A doughnut decorating competition, between the schools finished the day.  The students’ creations were judged by the visiting chefs and the standard of creativity and flare was very high!

Ealing Alternative Provision (EAP) won the competition and a copy of The Chefs’ Knowledge.

For many of the visiting students, the experience provided a memorable first step into the culinary world, proving that Wild Alaskan seafood can be both delicious and inspiring when placed in the hands of creative chefs and enthusiastic young learners.

Huge thanks to First Choice Produce for supplying all dry goods and fresh produce, Premier Foods for supplying pasta sauce for the the pasta pot lunch, and Lee Kum Kee for supplying a selection of delicious sauces.

As the event concluded, students left with new knowledge, new tastes, and perhaps the first spark of a future career in the hospitality industry.

Photography & film by Carlos Farinha @carlosclickuk