The team, based at Selby College in North Yorkshire, took home the Gold Award for ‘Further Education Team of the Year’.
The award-winning team is made up of eight culinary professionals, Sam Grimmer, Liz Brighton, Angie Hobden, Fay Price, Amy Williams, Margaret Morefoot and Barbara Cressey, led by Catering Manager Adrian Dawes.
Dawes says that in four years he has strived to make his department the best in the country, so that his students can secure employment at some if the most respected restaurants in the world.
He said: “We have a simple vision: to educate our students to the highest of standards so that they are able to secure exceptional job opportunities at the most prestigious restaurants and hotels in the world.
“The staff team and students are like one big family and seeing students grow in confidence, skills and experience is very rewarding. We will continue to maintain the standards set and work towards achieving new challenges and goals.”
The Selby College team was surprised earlier in the month by a visit from a BBC camera crew and, celebrity chef, Ainsley Harriott whilst preparing a special celebratory meal for their parents.
The students at Selby College are taught in fully-functional kitchens, restaurant and bar and pride themselves on using locally-sourced produce, including herbs picked from their own garden.
With this community spirit in mind, they have raised over £15,000 for Yorkshire Cancer Research with their own God’s Own Country themed recipe book called ‘The Sweetest Thoughts’, inspired by former student Scott Robinson, who tragically died of testicular cancer in 2010.
Allan Stewart, Principal of Selby College, said: “The team is truly an inspiration to everyone involved in teaching learners in Further Education colleges across the country.”
The Pearson Awards, dubbed the ‘Teaching Oscars’, were founded in 1999 by Lord Puttnam to celebrate the exceptional teachers and teaching across the UK.
Emma Thompson, Oscar-winning actress and President of the Teaching Awards, said: “I am genuinely proud and honoured to be the President of the Teaching Awards. I owe so much of what I’ve done to my fantastic teachers at school and university and it is exciting to join in celebrating what is probably the most important profession of them all.”
This year’s awards ceremony will be broadcasted on BBC Two on Sunday evening (November 2nd) at 6pm, titled Britain’s Classroom Heroes.