The cooking doesn’t stop for Hospitality and Catering students at Hugh Baird 14-16 College

Students studying the Hospitality and Catering vocational pathway at Hugh Baird (@hughbaird) 14-16 College have been creating some pretty impressive dishes, despite being in the country’s third lockdown.

The 14-16 College at Hugh Baird College acknowledges that students all learn in different ways, and some like to get hands-on in a work-related environment.

Students at the 14-16 College study a combination of essential GCSEs alongside a work-related course in an exciting new environment, different to high school. This is the perfect option for some students who are ready to start thinking about their next steps and planning for their careers.

The 14-16 College aims to provide an alternative to traditional mainstream education, designed around the needs of the individual, supporting growth in a holistic environment. The emphasis is on a more ‘mature’ approach, with young people experiencing a half-way house between school and the full College experience.  The approach is focussed on a setting that supports and encourages progression in skills, knowledge and understanding and their next steps – setting aspirational horizons.

The Hospitality and Catering vocational pathway at the 14-16 College prepares students to cook in professional kitchens, understand different food types and how to provide a balanced diet, alongside planning and producing dishes in response to a brief – pretty exciting stuff for a 14-16-year-old.

During the pandemic, the Year 10 and Year 11 students have been creating dishes such as, risotto, brownies, teriyaki chicken, soup and bread.

To ensure that students still get the best experience they can from home, the students receive a food parcel for each dish which is hand delivered by staff from the College, with everything they will need for that week’s practical session.

Rachel Singleton, Hugh Baird College Chef Lecturer, said:

“I am so proud of how the students are working during this third lockdown, they are on Teams every day rearing and ready to go, it’s great to see how enthusiastic the students are despite being at home. These are the qualities that will make them brilliant chefs in the future.”

Andy Howard, Hugh Baird College Director of Curriculum (Young People), said:

“For our 14-16 year olds, the pandemic has really impacted on their lives. Being able to continue their college courses provides a sense of normality to them and seeing them produce such creative dishes at home is a real testimony to their resilience. We are so proud of them!”