Alpha LSG is to nurture up-and-coming young chefs via work placements for college students who require real-world experience.
The company is developing a relationship with the UK’s premier catering college, Westminster Kingsway in Central London, in an arrangement that will see students on the college’s ‘Professional Chef Diploma’ course gaining vital kitchen experience with Alpha LSG.
Second and third year students will be eligible for the placements, supported and mentored by Paul Mason, Alpha LSG’s Head of Culinary Academy. Two five-week placements will initially be available in the academic year starting September 2014, when the selected students will experience catering on a grand scale via the Culinary Academy within Alpha LSG’s brand new £10 million Premium Kitchen facility.
Westminster Kingsway team for Global ICCP competition
Alpha LSG will also sponsor a Westminster Kingsway team of chefs to participate in the Global ICCP 2014 competition in Hong Kong.
The competition, for teams of two students aged under 23, will see Westminster Kingsway’s William Breese and Ben Townsend pitting their skills against opponents from top institutes in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
They will be tasked with producing four portions of a three-course meal, comprising appetizers, a main course and dessert, using nominated ingredients and a full larder of extras, in two and a half hours. The teams will be judged on their planning, organisation, teamwork, imagination, taste and presentation of the dishes.
Beneficial partnership
Alexandra Roberts, Westminster Kingsway College Programme Manager Professional Chef Diploma Courses, said: “At Westminster Kingsway College we are very happy to work with Alpha LSG on such a beneficial partnership that will positively influence our student’s learning experience. We hope this is the beginning of a long and fruitful association, continuing the College’s tradition of working with leading organisations to teach our students about different products as part of their education.”
Alpha LSG’s own chefs will also benefit from Westminster Kingsway College’s range of specialist short courses, which focus on in depth training in areas such as Culinary Science and Innovation.
Paul Mason, Head of Culinary Academy, said: “The Culinary Academy lies at the heart of what we are trying to achieve via the Premium Kitchen facility – culinary excellence for the airline industry. Alpha LSG has a strong history of investing in the training and development of its existing chefs and we have now made a commitment to support promising young talent emerging from Westminster Kingsway College.
“We believe our relationship with Westminster Kingsway will not only encourage students to consider a career in airline catering, but also enhance our efforts to set the standard to which all others will aspire.”
Westminster Kingsway College
Westminster Kingsway College has an excellent reputation within the hospitality and catering industry and famous former students include Jamie Oliver. The College offers a unique opportunity to study in central London for vocational qualifications that are tailored direct to employment opportunities. Westminster Kingsway College is recognised as one of the leading providers of education and training in the UK.
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About Alpha LSG Ltd
Alpha LSG Ltd was created on October 1, 2012 as a UK-only joint venture by Alpha Flight Group and LSG Sky Chefs. The business has combined revenues of more than £300 million and employs around 3,600 people who provide catering services from facilities located at 16 airports through the United Kingdom – London-Heathrow, London-Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Midlands, London-Stansted, Newcastle, Bristol, Cardiff, Doncaster, Luton, Leeds-Bradford, Aberdeen and Belfast.