Sarah Keane, Director of Leiths’ bespoke recruitment agency, shares all about Leiths List: how it supports our professional students and behind the scenes information about this year’s stellar roundup of Diploma work experience placements.
The Easter break is traditionally a busy time for our Diploma students. Having completed the Intermediate Term, they are raring to go to try out their skills. This is where Leiths List can help. As well as being the recruitment agency at Leiths through which I match graduate chefs to jobs, I am able to tap into an extensive network of food businesses to set up work experience opportunities right across the industry. This Easter has been no exception with students heading up to Ballintaggart Farm in Perthshire, down to Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow and to luxury event caterer Rocket Food – to name but a few.
The team at Ballintaggart was impressed by how the students hit the ground running. Matt found the experience exhilarating as they were trusted with their skills and knowledge from Leiths to just get on with the cooking. The variety of tasks (production kitchen, restaurant, events, cook school) were ideal for helping him to crystallise his ideas for the future.
Rocket Food, having partnered with Leiths List to host a popular open day described by their Head of Finance as ‘an absolute roaring success’, took 6 students to assist with tastings and food prep on some largescale events at the Courtauld, National Gallery and the Design Museum.
Joe Mercer-Nairne, co-owner of Medlar in Chelsea, hosted Patrick for a week-long placement and says he can get in touch if he wants a job; and Head Chef Mark Kempson at Michelin-starred Kitchen W8 was so impressed with Toby that he has volunteered to take on more student chefs.
Work experience placements can be a great way to explore the wealth of different careers there are in food. I am constantly on the look for new partners to create diverse opportunities for students and graduates, often through businesses that come to Leiths List looking to recruit. It’s a win-win.
For more information on Leiths List, click here.
For more information on the Leiths Diploma in Food & Wine, events and opportunities, click here or head to our Diploma Hub.
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