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Eastleigh College achieves Craft Guild of Chefs accreditation

Eastleigh College is celebrating becoming the first college in the south of England to receive the coveted Craft Guild of Chefs accreditation.

This can only be accomplished by meeting the high standards and criteria laid out by the Craft Guild of Chefs association. To pass, lecturers and learners were carefully observed and monitored during training sessions, with an inspection of our East Avenue restaurant and individual interviews also on the itinerary. A full rundown of the criteria along with a step-by-step outline of the accreditation process can be found here.

Greg Cheeseman, Hospitality Lecturer at Eastleigh College, commented: “We are thrilled to be awarded the Craft Guild of Chefs accreditation, it is an excellent achievement for our students and staff. This cements the hard work our students put into their training, their education and running East Avenue Restaurant. We are delighted to be the first college in the South of England to achieve accreditation.”

The Craft Guild of Chefs were established in 1965 and this fifty-six year heritage has seen them become the leading Chefs' association in the UK with over 1200 members and 100 business partners. Members are situated across the world and in every continent, enabling networking opportunities on both a national and international scale. These connections with business partners and employers can significantly enhance career prospects for learners and help define their future career paths.

Sue Lyons, Hospitality Lead at Eastleigh College, said: “It has been a tough and demanding 18 months for the hospitality industry and the challenges have been felt by both tutors and learners.  This accreditation is a great recognition for all the hard work, passion and commitment demonstrated by the department to deliver high standards of food and service in line with industry demand. We hope to use the Craft Guild of Chefs to further develop our enrichment opportunities for our learners and create new partnerships that will inspire them to continue in this career.”

Level 3 Professional Cookery learner Edward Rogers said: “Having the department accredited within the Craft Guild of Chefs is a fantastic accomplishment and will open up doors for us to push the limits as students.”

This accreditation comes swiftly after Edward’s own excellent achievement in reaching the final of the Culinary Arts Competition at WordSkills UK in Glasgow last month. It is an exciting time for growth and development in the Hospitality and Catering department, with a special Graduation Dinner for Junior Chefs hosted onsite only last week and the College preparing to act as one of four venues for the upcoming 2022 Chef's Culinary Challenge.

For further details on our range of catering courses, please click here.

For more information, please contact the College at BeBetter@marketing.ac.uk.