Bournemouth and Poole College Specialised Chefs & Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA) Graduation Ceremony held at the prestigious London’s Berkeley Hotel.
On the 35th anniversary of its award-winning programme, students studying on the prestigious Specialised Chefs Apprenticeship Scholarship at Bournemouth & Poole College, in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA), celebrated the completion of their studies with a stylish graduation ceremony. Currently, there are over 70 Specialised Chef apprentices enrolled on the programme; and since 1989, almost 500 top chefs have graduated from the RACA accredited course.
The graduation took place at London’s The Berkeley Hotel in top ‘hotspot’, Knightsbridge. A whole host of VIPs from the top of the hospitality industry were in attendance with their students and were treated to a culinary feast of canapes, made by 1st Year students.
Many former students are now in executive positions as chefs and training students themselves. The three-year block release is an apprenticeship at Levels 2 and 3, with students being assessed in food production and service. In July 2023, chefs completed a six-hour practical exam in college, with a much-coveted prize of the RACA Diploma in Professional Cookery.
Katie Prigg, who won an award at the graduation ceremony on Monday, 4th March said: “To receive an Egon Ronay award for ‘Scholar of the Year’ is great for me. It’s three years of hard work as an apprentice and it’s really nice to be recognised in this way. I’ve worked at The Goring Hotel for the whole three years, and hoping to work my way up further there. I’m very pleased to say I got a ‘distinction’ for the whole course too.
Chefs and their sponsors at the graduation ceremony included staff from The Goring Hotel, The Ritz Hotel and Claridge’s Hotel, among staff including Amy Bletcher, Director of Learning for Business, Service Industries and ESOL and Emma Barrett, Executive Director of Commercial Partnerships.
Phil Sayles, Principal of Bournemouth and Poole College said: “We are so proud of the apprentices, who are on their journey to the top of their profession. The combination of their employers’ dedication and skills, and the expert tuition and support of the college team, combine to support these brilliant, ambitious young people.
“The endorsement of the Specialised Chef Programme from the Royal Academy gives the course huge credibility and relevance. Our pride in this unique programme, and thankfulness for the roles partners play in it, goes almost beyond words. The Specialised Chef programme is an example of the work our college strives to do: get people into brilliant careers, and support industry and businesses, extended to a brilliant maximum.”
Michelin-starred restaurant Executive Chef from The Ritz Hotel, in London, John Williams, MBE, said: “As ever, the graduation ceremony was a testament to the skills gained throughout the course. The students in this current cohort, including our very own Tom Setchell (who had his placement with us at The Ritz), were all so greatly enthusiastic, artistic and creative with their dishes. I’ve worked with chefs from this programme since it started and the end result is - put simply - of excellent calibre.”
Apprentices are also supported by the unique residential support given, which, coupled with the opportunities of the programme itself gained an Outstanding inspection grade from Ofsted last November.
To learn more about the Specialised Chefs programme, you can view here: https://www.thecollege.co.uk/courses/specialised-chefs-apprenticeship-scholarship
Bournemouth and Poole College Chefs and their sponsors:
- Katie Prigg – Graham Squires, The Goring Hotel
- Tom Setchell – John Williams, The Ritz Hotel
- Chis Cleland – Shaun Whatling, The Berkeley Hotel
- Ollie Elcoate – Richard Galli, Claridges Hotel
- James Hofmann – Andrew Sawyer, Browns Hotel
- Jack Rymer – Richard Corrigan, Corrigan Mayfair
- Ethan Kirkby – Stuart Hart, The Army & Navy Club
- Isabelle Baker-Homes – Mike Lloyd, Tylney Hall Hotel
- Millie Stewart – Adam Smith, Coworth Park
- Jaz Granger – Adam Smith, Coworth Park
- Amy Briffitt – Hrvoje Loncarevic, The Grand Hotel Eastbourne
- Shangen Yen – Hywel Jones, Lucknam Park
- Oli Stonefrost
Current 1st Year Specialised Chef Apprentices that helped to prepare canapes for the event. Also did a Q&A after graduates were given their certificates:
- Jude Bell
- Megan Jenkins
- Louie McDonald.
