With The Doo’Cot currently in darkness looking for new management, Mackenzies closed and The Gunner all but gone, it’s getting increasingly difficult to get a drink in North Edinburgh. Continue reading Another one bites the dust? (1)
Tag: hospitality
The Bruntsfield’s getting bigger
Scottish hospitality group Queensferry Hotels is investing £1.4m in the renovation and expansion of its two four-star properties in Edinburgh and Fife, with support from the Bank of Scotland. Continue reading The Bruntsfield’s getting bigger
Two hundred pupils complete SESAP education programme
Two hundred school pupils from across Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Borders are celebrating after completing a pioneering academies programme to boost their education and employment prospects. Continue reading Two hundred pupils complete SESAP education programme
It’s Gavin at the double!
One of The Roxburghe Hotel’s most esteemed team members was recognised at the 12th annual Scottish Hotel Awards last week. Concierge Gavin Stirling picked up the coveted Concierge of the Year crown for the second year running.
The glittering ceremony, held on Sunday 19 April at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow, was a night of celebrations for staff at the four-star capital hotel, as they congratulated the hospitality star on retaining his much-deserved title.
37-year-old Gavin, who has worked at the Roxburghe for six years and in hospitality for 14 years, has been credited as an ambassador for the hotel and the wider hospitality industry in Scotland. Heading up a dedicated concierge team, Gavin’s welcoming nature and unrivalled desire to go above and beyond for guests has secured his place at the top of the title race for a consecutive year.
The hotel, located on the corner of Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square, was also named regional winner of Business Hotel of the Year for Edinburgh and the Lothians in recognition of its vibrant restaurant, luxurious bedrooms and state-of-the-art resources for modern business travellers.
Marcello Ventisei, general manager of The Roxburghe Hotel, said: “Gavin has done The Roxburghe proud yet again at this year’s Scottish Hotel Awards. His unwavering dedication to our clients and the hotel as a whole is fantastic and I’m delighted to see it duly recognised among the industry yet again.
“We’re lucky to have a fantastic team on board, all of whom work exceptionally hard to ensure the highest standards at the hotel – our regional award for Business Hotel of the Year is testament to that.”
College hospitality students sample Swiss service
Two hospitality students from Edinburgh College travelled to a prestigious hospitality school in Switzerland thanks to a scholarship.
Rebecca Sinder and Merce Just are both first year students on the HN Hospitality Management course, and were the first students from Edinburgh College to win a Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland (HIT Scotland) scholarship.
The HIT Scotland scholarship paid for them both to travel to the prestigious École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) for a two day programme titled ‘A Practical Approach to Customer Service’. Founded in 1893, EHL was the world’s first trade-school to focus on hospitality education. The school offers bachelor and master degrees in hospitality management and administration.
While on the scholarship Merce and Rebecca took a trip to the five star Grand Hotel au Lac and dined in the hospitality school’s gastronomic restaurant. Rebecca said: “This scholarship has opened my eyes and mind to the hospitality industry and what Scotland is missing in terms of customer experience, and also to customer service skills that everyone working in hospitality should be taught.”
Rebecca Sinder said: “This was a great trip and an opportunity to learn in depth about customer service skills. Not only did we learn about multicultural habits, current technology trends, how to dress to impress and also the crucial non-verbal and verbal communications skills, we were also shown what real hospitality feels like to experience. The professors and students of École hôtelière de Lausanne were an example of the most professional workers in the industry. They were welcoming and they showed us great customer service first hand.”
Richard Morris, Edinburgh College Food and Hospitality lecturer said: “Merce and Rebecca have returned to College inspired and motivated to continue with their studies whilst at the same time getting valuable Industry experience.
Rebecca has since joined me working for the Scottish Rugby Union Hospitality at the 6 Nations, whilst Merce is interested in joining the world famous Witchery restaurant following a recent visit. Ultimately what this scholarship has given them is the confidence to progress in their chosen industry realising what the ultimate rewards can be.”
HIT Scotland is a charity whose mission is to assist people to achieve their potential within hospitality. HIT Scotland enables young people in the hospitality industry to be inspired about what the industry has to offer and all the opportunities that exist in a multitude of sectors. It also sets steps to making dreams come true all over the world in many incredible organisations such as Virgin, Hilton and Mossimans.
Edinburgh College students worked at the Annual HIT Scotland Lunch at The Sheraton that Richard Morris has been coordinating with the College for the last few years. From this they gained an insight into what the organisation were all about.
There are many examples of young people who have gone on to achieve their career aspirations through HIT Scotland many of who were represented at HIT Scotland’s recent Emerging Talent Conference in Edinburgh.
Applications are currently open for hospitality and professional cookery courses starting at Edinburgh College in August. More details can be found at:
http://www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/courses/food_hospitality_and_tourism.aspx
Order, order: Students serve up gourmet feast at Holyrood MSPs
School students at a pioneering academy project took over the running of the Scottish Parliament’s Members’ Restaurant for a night, giving MSPs the chance to feed the country’s top politicians. Thirteen students from the Hospitality and Tourism Academy ran the kitchen and front of house at the restaurant, offering a three-course meal to paying MSPs and their guests.
The academy students, who are all S5 and S6 pupils at schools in Edinburgh and Midlothian, ran the restaurant themselves as if it was a regular night of service, under the supervision of lecturers. MSPs booked in for dinner and paid as they would normally, expecting the same quality of food and service.
The MSPs dined on pan-fried pigeon breast with parsnip puree and nasturtium salad; pork fillet in pinwheel oat crust with champ mashed potatoes and haricot verts; and white chocolate cheesecake with passion fruit jelly and passion fruit curd.
The students were invited to cook at the Parliament as part of a project to give college hospitality students experience of working in such prestigious surroundings. These students, however, were not as old or as experienced as most college students.
The students are all studying at the Hospitality and Tourism Academy, a partnership between Edinburgh College, Queen Margaret University, local authorities and schools in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The academy is part of the South East Scotland Academies Partnership, which began with the Hospitality and Tourism Academy in 2012 and expanded last year to introduce three new academies, the Creative Industries Academy, the Health and Social Care Academy and the Food Science and Nutrition Academy.
The academies give students the chance to study in these key growth industries while still at school, giving them theory and practical experience so they can make informed choices about their future. Students get insight into these industries over the two-year academy programmes, and improve their employability by developing specialist skills and knowledge that closely match the needs of employers. The academies now have 400 students from Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders, and the project has won praise from politicians, businesses and Education Scotland.
Sixteen-year-old Dalkeith High School student Dawn McDermott (above), who was working in the front-of-house team, said: “It was a really good night. The front-of-house staff and the kitchen worked well together so it was a brilliant team effort and everyone enjoyed it. The MSPs were lovely and were chatting to us all about what we were doing and what we want to do after school.
“It was such a good opportunity to experience something totally different from what we’re used to and we learned a lot. I want to become an air hostess so getting more customer service experience is really important, and hopefully this will look good on my C.V.”
Margaret Mitchell MSP, who said her pigeon starter was ‘cooked to absolute perfection’ and that the presentation was the equal of a professional kitchen, said: “The whole scheme seems like a fantastic opportunity for young people to get experience in industry, serving in a restaurant and cooking food. The academy has done a fantastic job in providing that experience because it can lead these students in so many different ways.
“They’re learning practical skills and can go on into the hospitality industry, which is big business in Scotland. This is a first-class initiative and I hope that the students, who are already performing so well, find huge benefits and that it will help determine their future careers.”
Also dining was Linda Fabiani MSP, who said: “A project like this is really important and it’s great experience for the young people. What’s really good about it is that students at college learn their skills but it’s important they also have practice in a real environment, so coming somewhere like the parliament restaurant and taking over the entire operation is great for them. MSPs enjoy a good meal and service like any other restaurant customers, so this was a treat for us.”
Ray McCowan, vice principal education leadership at Edinburgh College, said: “This was a tremendous opportunity for the students and they did such a superb job I’m sure many of the MSPs didn’t notice a difference from a regular night. Most catering students don’t get the chance to cook for and serve such esteemed customers, so it was a real privilege for them to be able to show off what they’ve learned at the academy.
“The academies give students real-world skills and knowledge, and it’s important they get to experience as many workplace environments as possible to build up their understanding of professional expectations. Serving MSPs in Parliament put them under pressure but they coped admirably and did a great job, which gives them incredible experience for whatever they go onto, preparing them to be excellent students or employees. They should all be really proud of themselves.”
Professor Alan Gilloran, deputy principal at Queen Margaret University, added: “It’s been a fantastic year for our Hospitality and Tourism Academy students. Showcasing their talents to MSPs and their guests at the Scottish Parliament has been a great way for them to end 2014 on a high.
“The students really rose to the challenge on the night and thrived under pressure. Unique practical experiences like this are hugely valuable to the Academy students’ development. They can be confident that their experiences will help them stand out from the crowd in this key growth industry by having the specialist skills and knowledge employers are looking for.”
Our treat: college students develop a taste for charity
Edinburgh College serves up a treat and raises £885 for St Columba’s Hospice
More than 500 people tickled their tastebuds at Edinburgh College’s first food and drink festival last week – and they raised £885 for the college’s charity of the year, St Columba’s Hospice.
The treat food festival brought 20 local food and drink producers to the college, who offered a wide range of samples to guests. To name just a few, stallholders included Black & Gold rapeseed oil, Chillilicious chilli chutneys, dips and sauces, The Marshmallow Lady’s homemade flavoured marshmallows as well as a selection of Invararity wines, Thistly Cross ciders and Great Grog Scottish beers.
Edinburgh College’s hospitality students used their skills to create and serve complimentary hot meals, as well as produce breads, cakes and chocolates, which were available to taste and buy. Top chefs including Neil Forbes of Edinburgh’s Café St Honoré (pictured below) gave live cooking demonstrations and a charity fundraising prize draw was also held.
In total, the prize draw and donations from the public, students and staff, helped the festival raise £885 for St Columba’s Hospice, the college’s chosen charity of the year. All the money raised at treat and at other Edinburgh College charity events this year will go towards completing and running the charity’s new hospice, which will allow them to continue to provide the best possible palliative care to their patients and support their family and friends for generations to come. The building is almost complete and St Columba’s are preparing to open the doors of the new building later this spring.
Carol Fyfe, head of tourism and hospitality at Edinburgh College, said: “Treat has been a great shop window to show off our incredibly talented students and staff as well as create links with local Edinburgh businesses, restaurants and cafés. We would like to thank everyone who came along to support this event and for the great total that we raised for St Columba’s Hospice”.
The treat food festival will be taking place again in 2015.
Food, glorious food … be prepared for a treat!
Love food? Granton Campus Hub is the place to be this afternoon when Edinburgh College holds treat, a fabulous Food and Drink Festival from 4 – 8pm.
As well as showcasing the skills of College Hospitality students and promoting course programmes, the free Treat event also offers an opportunity to raise funds for St Columba’s Hospice, the College’s chosen charity of the year.
Among the highlights on offer are live coking demonstrations from top chefs, mouth-watering produce from local stallholders, free samples, prize draws and much, much more.
Carol Fyfe, Head of the Tourism and Hospitality Academy at Edinburgh College, said: “treat not only offers an excellent learning opportunity for our students but also offers visitors and food enthusiasts top food tips and tasting opportunities from some of the best chefs in the country. All money raised will go to our charity of the year, St Columba’s Hospice, which is another fantastic reason to come along to our food and drink festival”.
Top chef Neil Forbes, of Edinburgh’s Cafe Saint Honore, (pictured above) will headline at today’s event. He said: “I’m delighted to be taking part in the treat festival at Edinburgh College. At a young age I was inspired to get behind the stove because of my granny’s soup! These early experiences of family cooking have influenced me throughout my career and I hope my demo at treat will inspire others to create their own food memories”.
Top tips? Free food? Go on, treat yourself!
Admission to treat is FREE although a charitable donation of £2 will be gratefully accepted!
Taking shape: De Vere ‘village urban resort’ rises over Crewe Toll
The Crewe Toll skyline is being transformed by the De Vere group’s ‘village urban resort’ complex, which is expected to open this autumn.
Work is progressing well on the new £20 million development, which will feature a 120-room hotel, a health and leisure complex (including a 20m swimming pool, a ‘gastro-pub’ bar restaurant and a Starbucks cafe) and a conference centre facility for up to 200 delegates.
