Professional Cookery students impress on work experience in Seville
20th March 2024 – Tags: Hospitality
Nine Professional Cookery students from City College Norwich have learnt how to cook authentic Spanish dishes in the best way imaginable, with 3 weeks’ work experience in restaurants and patisseries in Seville.
The Level 3 students were given this amazing opportunity thanks to The Turing Scheme, which funds UK students to gain life-changing experiences working or studying abroad.
The group were accompanied by staff from the college. The work placements were individually chosen to match each trainee chef’s culinary interests, with the students learning from chefs and bakers in the restaurant of a boutique hotel, a tapas restaurant, and different patisseries in the city.
The group were also treated to a masterclass from chef Juan Atalaya, hosted by the Escuela de Hosteleria de Sevilla, in which they learnt the secrets to making classic Spanish dishes such as Paella and Tortilla de patatas.
The students learnt how to cook an authentic paella during the masterclass at the Hospitality School of Seville.
Learning about Spanish cuisine
The masterclass was one of the highlights of the trip, with the students discovering what sets a real Spanish Paella apart from the offerings in some of the more touristy parts of the city.
The trip gave Bobby Vetere first-hand experience of working in a patisserie and the opportunity to make Spanish style cakes and pastries that were completely new to him:
They have Tarta de Galletas, ‘cookie cake’ is the translation in English. It’s a bit like Rich Tea biscuits, cream, and chocolate, all layered up, and it makes this cake when it sets. I’ve never had anything like it before in my life.”
Professional Cookery student Hector McNeill says,
We all want to work in a kitchen, or we want to work in the hospitality industry, and this was an opportunity to see it from a perspective outside the UK.”
As well as learning about the Spanish cuisine, with locally-sourced cured meats such as chorizo and hams featuring strongly, the students also enjoyed experiencing a different approach to service.
Later dining times, more sharing dishes with Tapas, food being brought to the table as soon as it is ready rather than all dishes being served together, and an inclusive family-oriented culture of eating out, were among the differences that stood out to the students.
Our Professional Cookery students visiting the Setas de Sevilla, the largest wooden structure in the world.
Experiencing life in Seville
As well as giving the students a meaningful amount of time in their work placements, the 3-week duration of the visit also gave them a real idea of what it is like to live and work in Spain.
In their free time, the group enjoyed visits to Seville’s royal palace, cathedral, a Roman settlement, a traditional Flamenco dancing show, and Sevilla’s football stadium – where they watched Spain’s women triumph over France.
Taking part in The Turing Scheme has given the group a wealth of new experiences, which will stand them in good stead for future learning and career opportunities.
Ella Van Wijk says,
Within the group we had nerves beforehand. Some were nervous about flying, because they’d never flown before. A few of us had never been to Spain before, so we were going into a new environment, we had no idea about the culture. It did the world of good for my own confidence.”
Every part of the experience was positive,” adds Bobby. “We made friends, we got more experience with what we want to do for our careers, more confidence. Everything was great!”
The Placido y Grata Cafeteria provided work placements for our students.
Hosts impressed by students
The students’ course leader, Adam Hodge, commented:
The students were a real credit to themselves and to the college in how they approached their work placements in Seville.
The work placement hosts at each of the restaurants and patisseries couldn’t have been more welcoming and accommodating. They were very impressed by the students’ skill levels and their professional approach in the kitchen environment and said they would happily have them back to work for them in the future.
The experiences and confidence our students have gained from The Turing Scheme will stand them in really good stead for their future training and careers in the hospitality industry.”
Scheme will take students to Portugal, Italy and The Czech Republic
In the coming weeks, three more groups of students from the college are set to benefit from overseas work and study experiences through The Turing Scheme.
Digital, Computing, Animal Care and Agriculture students will be visiting Portugal; and two groups of Animal Care and Agriculture students will be going on visits to Italy and to The Czech Republic.