AA College Restaurant of the Year 2024 reacts to award win

On Monday September 23, Truro & Penwith College’s renowned Senara Restaurant made history once again by securing the coveted title of College Restaurant of the Year at the prestigious 2024 AA Hospitality Awards. This marks the second time the college has achieved this celebrated recognition.

Sponsored by People 1st International, the award recognises the exceptional talent and innovation displayed by the college restaurant’s budding chefs and dedicated front of house teams, all of whom are students pursuing careers in hospitality.

Senara Restaurant, one of the top restaurants in Penzance, renowned for its incredible food and service, base their teaching on locally sourced, seasonal produce and cook everything from scratch. Their students are taught by professional chefs with years of industry experience between them.

This year’s competition challenged participating college restaurants to present their ideas on how businesses can attract and retain their people. As future talent in the industry, they were asked to consider four key areas: recruitment; benefits; learning & development approach; and employee satisfaction.

Andy Doyle, Partnerships Manager at People 1st International, praised Senara Restaurant’s approach to the competition:

“The students representing Senara Restaurant provided a compelling and engaging presentation in response to the task. They passionately highlighted how effective engagement with employees through recruitment, benefits, and personal growth is crucial for overcoming the ongoing challenge of attracting and retaining talent. The colleges strong links with local industry and thriving training restaurant were showcased as a successful approach to entice, engage and inspire the next generation of catering and hospitality professionals.”

Sean Wheeler, Chair of the People 1st International Accreditation panel adds:

“Congratulations to the Senara Restaurant team at Truro & Penwith College on this fantastic achievement. The award is a well-deserved recognition college’s exceptional work to inspire future talent and develop partnerships with industry, helping students transition smoothly into the workforce. Well done to all the college restaurants that took part – the entries were outstanding and showcased the high-quality work accredited colleges are doing to prepare the next generation for successful careers in hospitality.”

Receiving the 2024 College Restaurant of the Year award at the AA Hospitality Awards was a moment of great pride for the team at Senara Restaurant. Dean Bungay, Food and Beverage Lecturer, Truro & Penwith College comments:

“Winning the AA College Restaurant of the Year award is a testament to the passion and dedication of our students, staff and industry partners who help make Truro-Penwith College a thriving learning environment. This award means so much to us; it recognises Senara Restaurant as the pinnacle of grassroots development for the hospitality industry and highlights our commitment to creating the best possible FE environment for learners to succeed and ‘go further.’

“Over the past academic year, Senara has proudly partnered with 14 industry employers and professionals, a collaboration that has been key to our success. These collaborations have enriched our students’ learning experiences, equipping them with practical skills and valuable industry connections that prepare them for successful careers in hospitality.”

Jeffrey Robinson, an industry professional who established employer links with Senara last year, was invited to attend the awards and share his insights:

“I think what makes Senara special is that it feels ‘real world’. Cornwall is a big part of the UK’s hospitality industry and hospitality is an even bigger part of Cornwall’s economy. So being able to make hospitality a career, over just being a job is very important. It is this that Senara really understands, and why they make such effort to bring in other restaurants to co-teach and prepare the students for how to begin a career, whether that be front-of-house or as a chef, and really succeed in it.”