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Top North East Hotel Cooks Up Young Talent

A top north east hotel has found the cream of the crop of young chef’s in the region with its own talent show.

Three students from Gateshead College were rewarded with an amazing opportunity to gain experience in one of the best hotel kitchens in the country, after guests at the Marriott Newcastle Gateshead Hotel judged their spring-themed delicacies to be the best at a corporate event, catered for entirely by the college’s Level 2 Catering and Hospitality students.

Michael Fletcher, Nathan Birkbeck, and Andrew Ingleby were accompanied by the Gateshead’s hotel’s executive head chef, Chris Well’s, as the three students visited the prestigious JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in London, and saw the hotel at its best as it hosted and catered for the Ivor Novello Awards.

Nathan Birkbeck, a student at Gateshead College said: “It was amazing. The kitchen was so busy but really well organised and we could see all the things we’d learned at College and from Chris and his team in action at one of the busiest hotels in London. I’ve always wanted to be a chef and after this experience I just can’t wait to start my career in catering.”

The Marriott Newcastle Gateshead Hotel has worked in partnership with Gateshead College to help nurture and develop the skills of budding chefs. Putting theory into practice the students, working in teams, were invited to take over the hotel’s kitchens to cater for a big event, working alongside Marriott head chef Chris Wells.

“It’s great to see young and enthusiastic chefs who really want to learn something,” said executive head chef Chris Wells.

“It was a pleasure to share culinary tips, techniques and also offer advice based on my own experiences on how to find employment in the fast-paced hospitality industry.”

In total 12 students from Gateshead College worked with the Marriott NewcastleGateshead Hotel located at the MetroCentre in an innovative project aimed at developing the talent of young people in the region.

“Here at Marriott we passionately believe in not only attracting the best staff but also helping to develop the best talent in the region,” said Raoul Lemmerling, general manager, Marriott NewcastleGateshead Hotel.

“The partnership we have with Gateshead College is fantastic. There is often much negativity regarding young people but these students were very proactive, keen, eager and willing to learn and although it’s the first time we’ve worked like this with young people it is something we are definitely looking to do again.”

Marriott Hotels employ almost 10,000 associates in the United Kingdom and for the sixth year running it has been recognised in the prestigious Sunday Times 25 Best Big Companies to Work, rising to 7th place in 2013.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Deb Sharratt Communications .