The Craft Guild of Chefs plays a key role in championing the skills and talents of the people in the foodservice and hospitality sector and, as a part of this, it runs a accreditation scheme which universities and colleges that teach culinary skills can apply to join.
To be accredited, universities and colleges must meet stringent criteria set by the Craft Guild of Chefs, demonstrating that the faculty offers a high calibre of teaching. An independent assessor also inspects the college to ensure it meets the high standards required.
The Craft Guild’s independent assessor visited the college in early November 2022 and spoke to staff including Miranda Quantrill and restaurant manager Marc Whitley as well as a number of the students.
The assessor was impressed with both the quality of teaching and the attitude of the students, saying in his report: “It is clear that everyone expects nothing but the best from each other and both staff and students understand that ethos, respect it and are more than happy to ensure the high standards requested are maintained by everyone."
The Craft Guild of Chefs College Accreditation scheme was launched in July 2020 to 'inspire' the next generation of chefs at grassroots level.
Since it started four catering colleges have now achieved the accreditation, including Eastleigh, Sheffield and Loughborough College, which was the first college to achieve it in December 2020. In addition to the four colleges, two other education institutions have also accomplished the award, these are HIT Training and Welcome Skills.
The innovative scheme is aimed at colleges and universities that want to benefit from the association’s decades of experience and to tap into its extensive network of chefs by associating their faculty with the Craft Guild of Chefs name.