Five of London’s most highly-skilled chefs helped 40 students of Westminster Kingsway College create a mouth-watering meal for 70 extremely discerning diners in one of the most famed catering colleges in the country – raising nearly £1,100 for charity.
Westminster Kingsway is one of the country’s most famed catering colleges – it’s where Jamie Oliver, Ainsley Harriott, Dennis Mwakulua, Sophie Wright, Ben Murphy and countless other professionals started their careers. On Monday 7 November, the college opened up three of its teaching kitchens to the cream of the culinary profession to host a fundraising lunch for The Chefs’ Forum Educational Foundation CIC, to raise vital funds to help disadvantaged young people to enter the hospitality business. By hosting this Chef’s Forum Fundraising Lunch, we underlined our commitment to inspiring young chefs, enriching their learning and forging strong links with leading employers within the industry.
Guiding the students from Westminster Kingsway College on the day were Paul da Costa Greaves and Jack Cresser-Brown from Koppert Cress on the starter, Tom Cenci from Duck and Waffle (fish course), Paul Shearing from The Gordon Ramsay Group’s Bread Street Kitchen (meat course) and Daniel Pearse from Hakkasan on dessert. Presiding at the ‘front of house’ was level three restaurant supervisor Sam Bridges, mentored by Owen Evans, Lecturer in Hospitality in Westminster Kingsway’s Culinary Arts Food and Beverage department.
Diners were asked to contribute only what they were able to The Chefs’ Forum Educational Foundation, making this high-profile event and excellent cuisine accessible to all chefs, regardless of income.
Together, the chefs and students created and served a four-course meal for around 70 professionals from the catering industry who were all there to get in touch with the next generation of talent whilst catching up with their peers and suppliers.
Owen Evans said:
“Today has been a fantastic experience for our students. The food was superb and it was a great opportunity to showcase our students’ professionalism and skills. I would like to thank The Chefs’ Forum for making today a great success and inspiring our students.”