The Student: Dominique Dobinson

Dominique Dobinson, a student on this year’s Three Term Diploma, is comparing life as a law student and life as a Leiths student over the phone. A former corporate tax solicitor and mother of three, she tells me how surprising she has found the pace of life at Leiths.

The Diploma, she says, is ‘definitely more intense than my law degree because it just seems to be all-consuming in a good way, you always seem to be… preparing your time plans, revising for your wine or you’re revising your theory.’

Her experience of cooking before Leiths was informed by her French heritage and putting food on the table for her family.

‘I cooked for my family over the years and my Mum is French so I’ve grown up with a lot of French cuisine and Mum entertaining a lot… but I kind of prefer other cuisines like Asian or Middle Eastern.’

Referring to the fully-feathered pheasant all students are faced with in Foundation Term she asks me, in a hopeful tone, ‘do we only have to pluck and gut once?’ I believe so, but we briefly discuss the challenge of live lobsters in the Advanced Term.

But Dominique isn’t intimidated by a challenge. Since enrolling on the course, she has done work experience at Saturday Kitchen Live and spent some of her Christmas break in the warehouse prep kitchens of restaurant meal kit company Dishpatch.

The trainee chef is keen to gather as much experience as she can during her year at Leiths before deciding what to do next.

‘Sarah Keene [Manager of Leiths List Connect] mentioned Spring.’

During dinner recently at Kirk Hayworth’s vegan restaurant Plates (where available tables are rarer than white truffles), the Great British Menu winner delivered some dishes to Dominique’s table.

‘So I did actually accost him and said “Hey I don’t suppose you’d have any capacity for people doing work experience?”’

In the meantime, Dominique, who has passed her Foundation Term exam, is looking forward to the Intermediate Term and consolidating what she’s  learnt. ‘I’d definitely say I’m looking forward to the pastry but not quite so sure about the game!’