President employs former students at the ‘Homestead’

Three former @BordersCollege Hospitality students have been given the chance to develop their employability skills after securing roles within a popular homestead café in the Scottish Borders.

Angus Levell, Mia Kinghorn and Hannah Edgar have all started part-time employment within the Homestead Café and Farm Shop at The Hirsel, Coldstream, working in various roles, including food preparation and serving customers.

Former HNC Hospitality student Hannah was delighted to be given the opportunity to work at the Homestead, saying:

“Working here has been thoroughly enjoyable and has allowed me to build on the skills I learned at while at College.

“I’ve worked in a number of jobs since leaving College and considered going to university, but I eventually decided to develop my hospitality skills by going straight into employment within the industry.”

Mia Kinghorn, who studied Professional Cookery at Borders College, said of her time working at the Homestead:

“I had previous employment at the cafe and was delighted to be asked back by the new owners. Working in a job you love is key to job satisfaction and the buzz of the place is something I thrive on.

“The skills I learned as a student at college have been vital in my development as an employee and I hope to continue working here for as long as I can. Everyone is so nice!”

The Homestead was recently taken over by former Borders College student and current Student President Ann Letham, whom the workforce have much admiration for.

The café sells local produce such as meat, which Ann rears herself, as well as honey, fruit and vegetables; all sourced from Ann’s farm and other nearby areas.

Describing the employees as fantastic, motivated and proactive, and a joy to work with, Ann added:

“As a Borders College graduate, I know the high standard of training received in the Catering and Hospitality department. I am very lucky to work with other Borders College graduates as they are capable of working flexibly due to their well-rounded knowledge of the roles in the industry.

“They are able to perform any duties, whether it is kitchen or front of house, to a high standard with no additional training required on my part. Because I have complete trust in their abilities, we can have great fun while we work together as part of the wider team.”