South Trafford College
Students have been learning and training at South Trafford College since 1949 and today it offers a range of academic and vocational courses. The School of Culinary Art at the college includes ‘Heathcote’s School of Excellence’, in partnership with chef Paul Heathcote. Between them they offer 14 courses, from foundation to advanced level chef programmes. The college has been awarded funding from the Learning and Skills Council to support the development of the School of Culinary Art and Heathcote's School of Excellence as a Centre of Vocational Excellence, demonstrating not only the popularity of the course but the developments in the catering industry.

Advanced recipes
During their time at the college students following the vocational course learn how to prepare, cook and serve food. Recipes such as stuffed roast fillet of chicken and pasta bows with fresh spinach and sweet pimento sauce (shown here) are tackled by the students. As the vocational side of their training is so important, students prepare these dishes to be served in the college's public restaurant, De Quincey’s. This gives them valuable experience of working in a real restaurant and preparing food for paying customers.

Students benefit from the hands on course and have represented the hospitality industry at the Restaurant and Bar Show, hosted in Manchester during April 2003. Students attending the NVQ courses in food service, pastry and kitchen and larder cooked and served a four-course gourmet lunch to over 300 visitors at the event.

Here, the working kitchens at the college are shown with students taking part in an advanced pastry lesson.