AFC Bournemouth
A group of aspiring chefs from Bournemouth & Poole College were served up a tasty treat by AFCB Hospitality & Events.
They were given an insight into the catering operations at a professional football club during an Open Day at Vitality Stadium on June 11th.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the chefs have been unable to do their usual work placements as the hospitality sector has been particularly hard hit over the past year.
The AFCB Hospitality & Events team decided to help and hosted a Covid-secure event which gave 15 trainee chefs from the college a behind-the-scenes look at the many facets of the business.
Hosted by head of catering operations Paul Fudge, the chefs were given an insight into various topics ranging from matchday hospitality through to catering for the first team during away games.
A number of staff were on hand to showcase their respective talents, including Gary Ellaway from catering operations, executive sous chef Vernon Howard, executive head chef Ese Kousin and Elliott Whiteside from the club’s sport science department.
Elliott gave a fascinating overview of the nutritional side of being a professional athlete and how to manage pre-match and post-match diet.
Bournemouth & Poole College is an executive partner of AFC Bournemouth and the Open Day ended with the chefs being given a tour of the stadium and its facilities.
Commenting on the success of the Open Day, Paul Fudge said: “We have found ourselves in a very privileged position over the past year being at the football club while other areas of our industry have been decimated.
“We thought it important to give something back and help where we can and this was a good place to start.
“As a club, we place a huge emphasis on mental health and well-being in the work place.
“The catering and hospitality industry has experienced a very challenging period due to the pandemic and, hopefully, the students will have benefited from their visit.”
Click through the arrows above for a gallery of Open Day pictures.
