Milsom Hotels sent Andrew Hirst, Andy Thurston, Fraser Rowe, Florian Ruel & Rachel Howard (3 head chefs, pastry chef and event manager) into the student-run Balkerne Restaurant at Colchester Institute for a collaboration dinner, to demonstrate the care and attention that goes into creating award-winning hospitality.
Level 2 and 3 supervisory and professional chef students aged 16-19 recreated a delicious four-course dinner with amuse-bouche and petit fours for paying guests, comprised of dishes from milsoms Dedham, The Pier at Harwich and Talbooth Restaurant.
Stevie Robson, General Manager at The Pier has long recognised the valuable relationship Milsom Hotels shares with the Colchester Institute and in recent years has made strides towards developing a partnership that creates new opportunities: “This dinner with Milsom Hotels was the first big idea on the calendar of events to support and nurture the next generation of young talent and open doorways to new opportunities”
Student chef Lucas Lowe is already benefiting from the partnership- joining Andrew Thurston at The Pier, with the view to become full-time when his studies complete.
Wilkin & Sons Ltd (Tiptree) are sponsors of the excellent Balkerne Restaurant at Colchester Institute. Liz Baker, Marketing Manager at Tiptree shared “I went to the event at Colchester Institute last night where the Milsoms chefs were training the staff and the meal was absolutely delicious!”
Andrew Hirst, Executive Head Chef at Talbooth Restaurant taught students to prepare Talbooth Restaurant roast breast of guinea fowl main course- “It’s just a nice thing to do. Not only does this new partnership open opportunities for students to progress into professional kitchens, but it also nurtures students by giving them an opportunity to work alongside professional chefs in any setting”
“Safe to say it was a great success, enjoyed by students, lecturers and those who attended.” The collaboration dinner is something Milsom Hotels hope to repeat annually.
