Welsh college’s winning partnership with thoroughbred catering firm

Coleg Cambria has signed a winning partnership with a thoroughbred catering company.

Students from the Deeside and Wrexham-based college will be training with the award-winning Horseradish group, which supplies some of the north west’s leading venues.

This week (wc 7/5) around 75 of them will be in attendance at the Boodles May Festival at Chester Racecourse.

Among the other locations it serves are Bangor on Dee Racecourses, Chester Town Hall and Speke Hall.

Horseradish has also provided creative catering solutions for the RHS Flower Show in Tatton Park and Wales Rally GB.

The collaboration will offer Hospitality and Catering students the opportunity to work with the company, giving them experience of live events, from weddings and parties to race meetings and large public gatherings.

Paula Wood, Cambria’s Assistant Principal and Director of Curriculum, said: “The partnership between Cambria and Horseradish offers a fantastic opportunity for our learners to further develop the skills they have learnt in college and experience the industry first-hand.　

“This makes the education that Cambria provides relevant to the real needs of the sector. We very much look forward to working with Horseradish in partnership to develop the next generation of industry professionals together.”

Mark Wilcockson, Head of HR at Chester Race Company, added: “We are thrilled to be working together with Coleg Cambria to be able to offer course participants the opportunity to draw on real-life industry experience as they work towards qualifications that will set them up for entering the world of work.

“We see this project as beneficial not only for the students, but for Chester Race Company as we hope to attract enthusiastic talented individuals with the possibility of employment at the end of the term.”

The news comes after the college joined forces with Wrexham AFC, an alliance that will see students train alongside the club’s kitchen and service staff on matchdays at the Racecourse ground.

They will be on hand to attend events and functions at the world’s oldest international football stadium, giving them valuable expertise as part of their Professional Cooking qualification.

The department is also celebrating the success of its own restaurants – Y Celstryn and Hafod – which were lauded by the AA recently.

Hafod, on the Yale campus in Wrexham, achieved a highly commended rosette and was recognised as a centre of excellence for food and beverage service, while Y Celstryn at Deeside achieved a rosette award.

Andy Woods, Cambria’s Deputy Director of Hospitality and Catering, said: “The students are getting a taste of what it will be like if they pursue a career in the catering and hospitality industry.

“It’s been an exciting year for us all, and this fantastic new partnership with Horseradish is the icing on the cake, giving them vital experience with one of the UK’s top catering and events companies.”

He added: “The Boodles May Festival is another brilliant event for them, catering for thousands of people.

“We hope that events like these will become more frequent for our learners, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and knowledge for successful careers in the sector.”