Going back to college

At Lewisham's further education college, you can learn anything from technical engineering to catering craft and management. You can also learn how to enjoy a drink in stylish, modern surroundings, thanks to new restaurant and bar the Phoenix, devised by Isobel Craddock, head of the college.

Appointed just over a year ago, Craddock has already wrought great changes in catering opportunities both for students who train there and Lewisham residents and business people who eat there.

"The old restaurant was dead," she says. "It was serving around six people a day." In order to qualify for their NVQs, students are supposed to have experience of busier surroundings. So Craddock turned around original plans to update the restaurant - "all frilly curtains, brass downlighters and dried flower displays" - and brought in Kentish Town architects Douglas Lusardi and Metcalfe to create a place that would attract outside business.

What they evolved, on a minimal budget, was something altogether more contemporary. Walls are white and pale terracotta. Flooring is pale, unvarnished beech in the bar, and dark green carpeting in the restaurant. The bar top is African granite and chairs are Italian, upholstered in dark green leather.

Already the Phoenix is turning around 30-40 covers each lunchtime, and bookings have been taken for major functions.

With this and the highly successful self-service vegetarian restaurant Craddock introduced a year ago, students can now gain experience in self-service catering, brasserie service and silver service.