As part of its on-going support of the initiative, Sodexo saw one of its junior sous chefs, Nikola Plhakova, team up with Vass to share their knowledge and “take student learning to a new level.”
With workshops designed to refine attendees’ skills in crafts such as chocolate work and cocktail making, the week-long course ended with a ‘Celebration of Skills’ dinner, welcoming VIP guests including Scotland’s Deputy First Minister, John Swinney.
While Plhakova focused on savoury, Vass talked the students through the sweet dishes, with the three-course ‘spring time awakening’ menu designed to “encourage them to use seasonal produce and open up their skills base to cook with less well-known ingredients.”
Sodexo executive chef, David Ward, said: “It has been a great opportunity for Nikola to be able to take a step back and help students entering the world of hospitality, offering them tips and insights from her very own experiences.
“We often find these initiatives can be just as rewarding for our staff in their own development, as it is for the students as they embrace new challenges.”