Be part of helping the future generation of culinary greatness!
The competition that fast-tracks youngsters through education to employee level.
As we all know, recent times within the hospitality industry have not been the easiest, but we prevail and the future is exciting. With staffing shortages and new outlooks on career paths, there is a huge drive for recruitment in our industry, and competitions like Inspiring Culinary Generations are vital to put culinary careers on the map and to open doors to exciting futures for our younger generation.
Inspiring Culinary Generations (ICG) are proud to be the cookery competition that fast-tracks youngsters through education to an employee level, and it is a recognised and well-respected initiative amongst industry leaders, having been running for the last 10 years.
As part of the Aspiring Student Chefs category, the winner is offered a prestigious three-year Specialised Chef Scholarship at Bournemouth and Poole College with tuition, professional training and work experience opportunities with a chef member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts at some of the finest hotels and restaurants in the UK.
Inspiring Culinary Generations spent the day at Bournemouth and Poole College recently, speaking with Christophe Baffos, the director of learning for service industries and amenities, Paul Dayman, chef-lecturer and specialised chef course leader, and some of the students coming up to their graduations.
The specialised chefs course is described by many, including executive chef at the Ritz London John Williams MBE, as the best in the country. Dayman, who completed the course himself over 20 years ago, describes it as "life-changing".
He said: "You come into this and within a very short space of time you're going to get put with some of the best employers in the country. After doing 14 weeks here at college you're going to be working in a five-star hotel or a Michellin-starred restaurant or an amazing country house hotel, and that's unrivalled in the country in terms of courses."
Baffos, who is a renowned chef having previously worked at places like the Savoy and the Grove, added: "There's a lot of employers looking for talented chefs and we've got a great reputation. We work with top hotels and restaurants across the UK, and we teach our students a lot of skills that are not always available in other colleges".
The competition is proud to work with many incredible names and brands, however it is on a mission to find new sponsors and partners, as this kind of support is vital to ensure the competition can run and continue to grow and do bigger and better things.
When asked what he would say to any businesses considering supporting the competition, Dayman, who is also a member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, said: "It's a fantastic competition. We've got some incredible judges that take part and we've always had great feedback from the students. If I look back to when I was a student doing my first competition, I still remember the brands that were aligned with the competition when I took part and I am still loyal to those brands now.
"I think it's a great thing to do, and down the line these students will become head chefs one day with massive buying power – why would you not want to be part of that?"
The comments were echoed by Baffos. Unravelling the student experience further, Dayman described how, "these kids come from just an average background, then end up working in a five-star hotel!" He told the story of one of his students dicing up pineapple during an interview, and finding out it was for the queen – imagine!
"My favourite part of my role is seeing the transformation of the students from kind of nervous but really enthusiastic young people into really young professionals three years later," he added.
For Dayman, suitable candidates just need to have, "the willingness to be the best they can, enthusiasm for what they want to do and dedication to their studies. We can teach them how to cook, but that willingness to do well and the passion for cookery has to come from within, so as long as they have that and the determination to work hard, they will do really well here with us."
The graduates
The upcoming graduates on the course are well-prepped to be the future stars of the culinary industry, and include Leonardo, working at the Ritz London, Alberta King at Coworth Park, Alexander Whitham at Clifton House hotel and Kieran Rudolph – past ICG winner – at Brown's hotel in Mayfair.
Dayman said: "We are really fortunate that the students work with some amazing employers throughout the country, including the Ritz London, Claridge's, the Pig Hotel Group, Chewton Glen, Coworth Park – I could go on, but we are very very fortunate. And all these employers really dedicate themselves to looking after the students, training and nurturing them and inspiring them, as well to keep being the best versions of themselves."
Alberta added: "I think my favourite thing about the course would be being able to do an apprenticeship and going to a workplace". She talked about the "experience of being in an actual kitchen" as an advantage that she knows will give her a good head start from graduating to working in the industry full-time. "Seeing a lot more females in the industry who are getting three Michelin stars has pushed me and inspired me. Eventually one day I want to be an executive chef and have some stars".
For Alexander, the course has given him a new-found confidence and he describes it as "the biggest opportunity as a young chef. In my first year of college I wasn't as confident as I am now. I'm confident in my skills and I'm confident in what I want to do in the rest of my career. I hope to move up the ladder in the kitchen and learn as much as I can."
Rudolph said: "I've learned that the finer details are something that, when you go out into the workplace, people are quite impressed to see that you have that sort of knowledge and you have the confidence to ask questions. Starting at Brown's has opened my eyes to what I want in the future and what I want to achieve. The whole experience for me has been incredible."
Entries for the 2022/23 Inspiring Culinary Generations competition are now open. The competition is reaching out to businesses big and small to get involved with sponsorship. This can range from product to monetary, with some great value involved in supporting. If you're looking for a cause to support for 2022/23, this may just be the perfect fit!
For any queries including applications or sponsorship contact Naomi Blanchard on 01780 757666 or email naomi.blanchard@dupreeinternational.com
Find out more
Top: Christophe Baffos (left) and Paul Dayman
