WLC Student restaurant success

T.A.S.T.E. Restaurant at Ealing, Hammersmith & West London’s College has received a silver accreditation from People 1st and a Highly Commended Rosette from AA Hospitality. 

T.A.S.T.E. is a fully equipped professional kitchen and restaurant, fully staffed by students and open to the public. For an average cost of £6 for two courses, members of the public can sample food prepared by the next generation of star chefs and hospitality professionals.

The silver accreditation from People 1st is given only to Colleges and providers that demonstrate they are following a planned course of action to match learners’ skills with employers’ needs, while taking steps to expand the continuous professional development of their staff and build effective working partnerships with industry.

T.A.S.T.E. already has strong industry and community links with celebrity chefs including Brian Turner, Mark Hix, Jamie Oliver, Atul Kochar and Gordon Ramsay having all cooked there. T.A.S.T.E. also hosts the annual Hammersmith & Fulham Council Young Chef of the Year competition bringing some of the most talented young chefs in the borough together.  

The AA College Rosette – Highly Commended award is the highest of the three AA College Rosettes available. It is only given to student restaurants that meet the following criteria:

“The learning environment in addition to the facility will at its very best and above all appropriate to the target markets and indeed learning. Restaurants will have an excellent grasp of commercial sense and can compete well within a true restaurant environment. Restaurants at this level are likely to have a clear brand and excellent links to industry where this is exploited to benefit the students greatly. Service levels highly polished, with clear support from lecturers and notable peer to peer learning/training.”

The following outstanding moments were also noted by the AA:

• The perceived willingness and commitment to learn by Level 1 students, some of them adult students willing to get back into work
• The excellent value for money the menu offers
• The commitment from the lecturers to develop and prepare people for the job market
• The relationship between the college and leading restaurant/hotel groups

Andy Doyle, Membership Operations Manager from People 1st, said:

“It was great to see the team at T.A.S.T.E. earlier this month and see how they were supporting people of all ages into our industry. The panel recognised that T.A.S.T.E. are on a journey and we hope we can help support them to continue to grow and improve your offering over the next several years”.

Sylvain Auger, T.A.S.T.E. Restaurant Manager, has taught students for a number of years and knows first hand how talented they are. 

“After hearing how good we are from our customers, I’m very pleased to see this recognition from a professional body like People 1st. Our students show us every day that the future of the hospitality and catering industry is in very capable hands”. 

We have some of the best young chefs in London working and training at T.A.S.T.E. – and you can experience their work for just £6 for two courses. T.A.S.T.E is open to the public from 12:00pm every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during term time with last orders taken at 12:45pm. Get in touch on 020 7565 1350 or email [email protected] to book your table.