Michelin-starred ‘Kitchin’ experience for chefs of the future

@BordersCollege Level 6 Hospitality students recently enjoyed a lunch dining experience at multi-award-winning chef Tom Kitchin’s restaurant ‘The Kitchin’ in Leith, Edinburgh.

As part of their head chef skills training, the trip to was arranged to give the students a chance to experience what’s required at head chef level, and who better than one of Scotland’s most respected chefs to show them how.

Tom kindly took time out of his busy schedule to speak with the group, which included Madison Scott, Carly Forest, Ryan Boylan and Gemma Davidson. He was interested to hear about their studies and gave them some top tips on menu planning and cooking.

The group were delighted to meet with Tom and were given the opportunity to go into the kitchen area and speak with the staff, which they found very educational and motivating.

Tom explained the financial implications of running a restaurant business and the need to consider ingredients, food waste and portion control when menu planning.

This was an important piece of advice as the students will be tasked with designing a three-course menu for the College Restaurant as part of their studies, and planning and calculating food costs will be a big part of this.

Hospitality Lecturer Robbie Bunton commented on the visit, saying:

“Tom Kitchin is one of Scotland’s best-known chefs, so it was a fantastic experience for our students to visit his restaurant and listen to his advice. They all described the experience as ‘amazing’.

“The group are now considering ideas for when they begin their head chef training, which will take part in evening sessions at the College Restaurant. Hopefully they can put into practice what they have learned from the experience.”