Catering Scotland

Nine student chefs have been given the work placement of a lifetime after spending a week cooking for thousands of sports fans at the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon.

The trainees, who are all studying for their HND in Professional Cookery at City of Glasgow College, were taken on by the contract caterer as part of its commitment to recruitment, training and development.

The student chefs were based in the R&A Complex, working in the Links Pavilion, and were responsible for serving up to 1,500 guests a day.

Senior Lecturer at City of Glasgow College, Gary Maclean, said: ‘The quality of food produced at the Open was incredible and I suddenly realised this was a whole area of hospitality that I didn’t know about.

‘Our partnership with Sodexo has been invaluable, not only in offering practical placement but by helping to broaden the appeal of the industry.

‘Our students work side by side with Sodexo’s chefs and are given individual responsibilities. They aren’t on the side lines; it’s a full-on, hands-on learning experience. And although it can be intense, it offers an unparalleled opportunity to the next generation of chefs and each of them walks away with a huge sense of achievement.’

Sandy Robson, Account Director at Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, added: ‘We’re committed to encouraging and mentoring the next generation of hospitality professionals, as well as promoting the industry as a vibrant career which is full of opportunities.

‘Not only do they receive first-class training from our experienced craft team, but they get the chance to work in a fast-paced, professional event catering environment and understand how it operates.’

As the Open Championship’s official catering and hospitality partner for over 30 years, Sodexo employs around 1,000 staff across the site. Central to its planning is a recruitment drive which aims to find new talent, and provide training and  employment opportunities in the local community.

This year, the company’s staffing team developed a partnership with Prestwick Chamber of Commerce which promoted employment opportunities to students through a series of roadshows.

As part of this, a week’s training which included World Host customer service accreditation, alcohol license certification, and barista and restaurant service training was provided to those interested in working with Sodexo at The Open.

 www.prestigevenuesandevents.sodexo.com

www.cis-excellenceawards.com