Weymouth College students spend their first day on the small screen!

On Thurs 4th March, our hospitality and catering students faced a fresh challenge when working at the College’s Cygnets restaurant. Video cameras started rolling just before lunchtime to give a live feed from the kitchen through to a plasma TV for all the diners to see in the restaurant.

It wasn’t a quiet lunch service either as they had a group booking for 40 people for as the restaurant is open to the public each week day. An extra table was filled with the sponsors of this new equipment, South Coast Catering Group who also unveiled a plaque in the restaurant after dessert and coffee!

The students and staff in the kitchen were very excited about their new-found fame on the small screen! Donna Horlock, Chef Lecturer at Weymouth College, explains how useful the new media equipment is: “We are using the latest technology in here and it is not just to improve the customer experience. We can use the cameras and TV in the kitchen to enhance the learning experience for our students. One of the cameras focuses on the demonstration area so that students can watch live on the TV in the kitchen or replay if they wish to review one of the techniques. The equipment also links to the internet so that we can pull up videos and other learning materials.”

Julie Martin, studying on the City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Professional Cookery doesn’t feel that it puts her under too much pressure: “The new TV is great for watching demonstrations and I think it is nice for customers to see behind the scenes. During service it is so busy that we forget the cameras are here!”

The restaurant and training kitchens have been very popular this year as a sold out Junior Chefs course has had to offer an additional start date in April and two more themed evening dining events are scheduled between now and the end of May:

21st April – Indian Theme Night
20th May – Casino Royale Night

For more information on booking to dine at Cygnets restaurant or joining one of our catering or hospitality courses then please call 01305 208981.
http://www.weymouth.ac.uk/