Top chef welcomes new batch of eager young students

It’s been a busy week for Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines and the city’s college proving once again that the city is in the forefront of driving excellence in hospitality and catering.

Last week the busy chef and restaurateur met up with the new group of eager students who have just started at Exeter College at the prestigious Michael Caines Academy and are keen to follow in his footsteps and those of the first group of Academy students already showing off their skills that have been honed in the last year. Designed to nurture the region’s future generation of talented restaurateurs, chefs, managers and front of house staff the group of 16 students, from all over the county, got the chance to meet the inspirational college alumnus, Michael Caines MBE, and find out, at first hand, his vision for the Academy and the future of the exciting hospitality and catering sector in the area.

“These students could not have joined the Academy at a more exciting time”, said Michael Caines.

“The South West as a whole is buzzing with new developments in the sector and there is a drive to ensure we continue to demand excellence in all aspects of the hospitality industry. Following the success of the first group last year, this new group will be gaining essential skills through high profile experiences, challenging practical and theoretical workshops and masterclasses from the very best in the industry. We’ve had such a successful first year that this new group have a high standard to look up to.”

Emma Wakely, 16, originally from St James School, first met Michael at the original launch of the Academy back in 2011 whilst she was still at school and now joins the elite group at Exeter College. “It’s really great being in the Academy,” said Emma, “It’s very special since we get extra opportunities to an ordinary catering course. There are lots of different links to local businesses and producers built into the course which means that we will have better opportunities to learn extra things about all aspects of the hospitality sector.”

Whilst the full time students were on half term, the college kitchens were not idle with the exciting South West Chef of the Year final taking place on Monday which saw six professional chefs in a tense cooking exercise scrutinized by a challenging panel of 10 chef judges – including Michael and colleague chefs amongst the leaders in the area. The finalists battling it out in the kitchens during the day, had to wait until the gala dinner in the evening hosted at Michael’s Abode restaurant in the city, in conjunction with Taste of the West – a very fitting venue for what is seen as one of the leading catering competitions in the area. Pipped at the post was a former Exeter College student, Harriet Pecover in the Young Professional Chef of the Year competition but a former College student, Michael Tweedie was a triumphant winner of the Professional class and is already looking forward to working with Michael in his flagship kitchen at Gidleigh Park later in the year.

With training the future workforce clearly at the top of his agenda Michael was back in the college’s training kitchens in the middle of the week to deliver a focused cooking masterclass to this own group of 10 Apprentices – all keen to hone their skills further and learn from their mentor. The apprentices currently work across the Brownsword Hotel and Restaurant empire and travelled from Abode establishments in Manchester, Chester, Canterbury and Exeter as well as from the Bath Priory, Gidleigh Park and Umberleigh Castle in Sussex to see Michael in action

“The link with Exeter College is very important to me”, said Michael who is also celebrating being listed in the top 3 Times Food list this weekend for the third year running , “I am very grateful for the foundations the college gave me as a student and I now feel it is important that I offer my expertise back. I am interested in the College as a whole in my role as one of the College Governors and can see the range of initiatives being developed as well as the important role it plays in the local area and region. I am also very proud of the way the Academy is attracting such enthusiastic and skilled students who will, I’m sure be a credit to the college as they contribute to the important hospitality and catering sector.”