Hospital chefs go back to the classroom
Pupils at a special school in Portsmouth cooked up a storm with expert help from Solent NHS Trust’s award-winning catering team.
Jim Richardson, based at St Mary’s Community Health Campus, visited teenagers at The Harbour School in Tipner just weeks after finishing third in the NHS Chef 2022 competition.
Along with colleague Ronnie Parrett-Harris, Assistant Catering Manager, the pair chatted to the pupils about their careers in hospital catering as part of a project designed to show youngsters the wide range of careers available to them in the NHS.
The chefs guided the young people, who are studying BTEC Level 1 and 2 home cooking skills, through a recipe to make cheesy chorizo-stuffed chicken with pesto pasta.
Iain Robertson, Catering Operations Manager with Solent NHS Estates and Facilities, said: “This was the first careers visit we have tried but it went so well that we now plan to extend the concept to other schools in the Portsmouth area in the new year. It’s fantastic to think our talented team could be helping to inspire the NHS chefs of the future.”
Kate Bance, Careers Lead at The Harbour School, a special school and alternative provision for children with a range of social, emotional and mental health needs, said: “This was such a positive experience for our pupils.
“It was great to see them working with the NHS chefs, following recipes, and using ingredients to create delicious dishes. Knowing that career paths like this exist in the NHS is beneficial to our pupils and helps to raise aspirations. Their feedback has been brilliant.”
The aim of the 350+ NHS Careers Programme is to enlighten young people to the 350+ career paths open to them in the NHS, many of them offered straight from school via apprenticeship.
Kat Millmore-Davies, Education Outreach Lead for the 350+NHS Careers Programme, said: “These students have a keen interest in catering but until today were not aware that you can start as an apprentice chef in the NHS and work your way up.
“The NHS offers a fantastic career and that’s what the 350+ programme is all about showing. Huge thanks to Jim and Ronnie for their time today – it was brilliant to see the pupils inspired and having a great time.”