91ÌÒÉ«

Hospitality Industry Taster Day Inspires 200+ Students

On Tuesday 4 March 2025, 200 students from 91ÌÒÉ« feeder schools experienced the very best of the hospitality industry at a Hospitality Industry Taster Day, filled with live demonstrations and entertainment – proving that when The Chefs’ Forum is given a stage, a spectacular show follows!

91ÌÒÉ« hosted the special student event, welcoming students from 10 invited schools for an exclusive glimpse into the world of hospitality. The event was opened by Denise Charles, Head of Curriculum for Service Industries, and Assistant Principal, Charles Nelson, who welcomed the young visitors along with students from Travel and Tourism, who gave a safety briefing and told the audience where the toilets and fire exits were located.

Throughout the day, captivating demonstrations were complemented by outstanding musical performances from Manchester rapper lowkeylimit, who performed his latest single “Manchester Vibe,” accompanied by dancers Princess Van-Der-Larbi and Jake Morgan. The performances energised the young audience, reinforcing the role of music and dance in engaging students of this age group and linking the arts of food and music.

First up on the demo stage was Stephen McClarty, Chef Patron at Sharkbait & Swim, joining forces with Charlie Brockwell from Direct Seafoods London to give a fantastic ‘Fishmonger & Chef’ demonstration. Charlie broke down a whole Chalk Stream Farm trout and then invited Oliver Birkmanis, a year 9 student from Buxton School to help remove the pin bones!

Stephen then created a delicious dish of pan-seared chalk stream trout with palourde clams, sauteed potatoes, samphire and trout roe beurre blanc, which went down a treat with the students as taste tasters. Stephen cooked on CookTek Helios Induction hobs, kindly supplied by MCS Technical Products.

Stephen said to the audience: “I have always loved food and cooking, and I knew when I was your age that I wanted to be a chef. I really enjoyed working with the students at 91ÌÒÉ« and can say that if you want to get into the industry, this is the college to go to – a great facility and so lucky to have all the different chefs come into the college as part of The Chefs’ Forum Academy – I wish I had all of this opportunity when I was at college.â€�

David Jordan, Head Chef at Bonds Mayfair, impressed students by crafting gourmet burgers beyond the ordinary. He invited students to join him in making a smash burger on stage. He also put the Unox Bakerlux convection oven to the test, generously supplied by the market-leading manufacturer, using it to bake beautifully garnished brioche buns with lashings of melted cheese, David’s secret to a lovely juicy burger!

As the demonstrations unfolded, canapé-sized portions of the dishes were distributed to students and pasta pots with Homepride bolognaise sauce were served at lunchtime, kindly sponsored by Premier Foods were served en-masse from purpose-built usherette trays from Thirst Solution.

The interactive event also featured an interactive mocktail demonstration led by National Bar Manager of the Year, Salvatore Maggio, Bar Manager at 5-Star Luxury Hotel, The Franklin, where young guests tried their hand at flaring. Salvatore said: “I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and skill with young hospitality professionals in the making. Working with the students to create my signature Melody mocktail and a delicious Glory Fizz and Flower Power was really rewarding. I was very impressed with how quickly the students grasped the pouring and flaring techniques I demonstrated and feel they showed real promise – it was great to see!�

Mariela Petkova, Channel Marketing Manager at Premier Foods, reflected on the event: “The students thoroughly enjoyed today. There was so much to taste and learn about. Premier Foods was delighted to sponsor pasta pots for lunch with our Homepride brand. Since the event ran over lunchtime, it was essential to provide a substantial and nutritious meal alongside the canapés, eclairs and mocktails.�

After lunch, an inter-school éclair filling and decorating competition, led by Bake Off: Professionals Winner, Mauro Di Leito ensued. This is an annual tradition, and the students got to be really creative! Mauro was joined by new Executive Chef at The RAF Club, Elliot Plimmer and Franciane Tartari, our Joint Head Judge for Student Pastry Chef of the Year to judge the competition – there were so many excellent creations!

Denise Charles, Head of Curriculum for Service Industries, also shared her enthusiasm: “We love hosting these taster days in partnership with The Chefs’ Forum. They offer school students a chance to visit the college and gain insight into the industry-leading establishments we work with. It was fantastic to collaborate with Stephen, Charlie, David and Mauro. The cocktail demo with Salvatore also added great excitement.�

Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, extended her gratitude: “A huge thank you to all our participants and to 91ÌÒÉ« for their continued support. Steve and Charlie were a great double act and Salvatore and Mauro also delivered an outstanding morning. We love bringing in top professionals from the best hotels and restaurants to inspire high school students and drive college enrolments year after year. This is what the Chefs’ Forum Academy is all about.â€�

Students who participated in the demonstrations were rewarded with a complimentary copy of The Chefs’ Forum’s book, The Chefs’ Knowledge, as a new print run is now available to buy .

The event also celebrated past students as success stories, alongside current students who had previously attended similar taster days. These initiatives are proving highly effective in increasing college enrolments each year, contributing to solving the ongoing chef shortage. The Chefs’ Forum is actively expanding its network of Chefs’ Forum Academies across the UK and welcomes opportunities to stage similar events at further education colleges nationwide.

Photography & film by Carlos Farinha