Seasoned set to provide Barking & Dagenham College students with events and hospitality catering training

6th November 2015

Award-winning event caterer Seasoned is set to provide students on the City & Guilds Level 2 Professional Catering course at Barking & Dagenham College?s Technical Skills Academy with essential catering experience to get them ?work ready?.

The junior chefs will receive one-on-one training from Head Chef Chris Hawkins at the Seasoned central production unit (CPU) in Essex. Each student will need to complete 30 hours of work experience in order to pass their course as set out by the government.

Training commenced on Monday 2 November and will run until the students graduate next year. The work experience won’t affect their studies and will help them improve on their professionalism and skills in large scale commercial environments.

Within their 30 hours of work experience the students will have the chance to create canapés, starters, main courses and desserts. They will learn about allergens, health and safety processes and special cooking techniques but above all they will gain an insight into what it’s like to work in the events and hospitality industry.

Those who stand out will be given an opportunity to work in the kitchen with Chris Hawkins on an overtime basis while they are completing their course or even find a permanent position or further work experience with Seasoned once they have graduated.

Lynden Davies, Professional Catering Lecturer and Assessor at the College, said of the partnership:

“There is nothing better than real life on-the-job work experience to help the students develop their employability skills.

“This partnership with Seasoned is a valuable complement to the work experience our students already receive in the College’s commercial and training restaurants. With Seasoned they will see catering and hospitality on an industrial scale. It will be great for their CVs and will help them break into the industry when they graduate.”

Colin Sayers, Seasoned’s Managing Partner, said:

"We at Seasoned are proud to be working with Barking & Dagenham College to help students achieve their potential.

“Given the shortage of skilled workers coming into the catering industry, we are offering this opportunity for students to gain first-hand experience in the workplace and also develop specialist skills in desired areas that will benefit the industry in the long term.

“With Seasoned having over 30 years’ experience in the events and hospitality catering industry and Chris a natural teacher who also has many years of experience under his belt, the students are in excellent hands!”

Seasoned plan to continue working with Barking & Dagenham College in order to offer their students a range of valuable apprenticeships and work experience opportunities.

Seasoned’s Head Chef, Chris Hawkins, commented:

“I’m so excited about working with the students and giving them a real insight into life as a chef as there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.

“I really think this could be the beginning of a great relationship between Seasoned and the College and I hope the scheme is successful so that we can provide this training on a regular basis.”