Hugh Baird College Partners with The Chef's Forum to Showcase Regional Excellence at The Northwest Chefs' Lunch

HUGH Baird College students had the unique opportunity to work alongside some of the Region's top culinary talent at:- The Northwest Chefs' Lunch, held on:- Monday,  18 November 2024, at the spectacular Municipal Hotel & Spa in Liverpool. The prestigious event brought together 4 acclaimed chefs and marked a fitting conclusion to a year dedicated to celebrating excellence in Hospitality.

This exclusive event featured a stunning 4 course menu, each dish crafted by a Leading Chef:- Mike Kenyon from The London Carriage Works, Paul Askew, from The Art School Restaurant, Andrew Green, from The Municipal Hotel, and Jake Parry from The Halyard, Liverpool. The lunch not only showcased incredible culinary talent, but also highlighted Hugh Baird College's continued commitment to developing the next generation of Hospitality professionals.

Paul Askew, Chef Patron of The Art School Restaurant, praised the students' performance:- "I've thoroughly enjoyed working with the students from Hugh Baird College today. They've been outstanding, both front and back of house. It's fantastic to see Liverpool's thriving restaurant scene gaining national recognition through The Chefs' Forum, and events like this are essential for nurturing the next generation of Hospitality professionals. I'm already looking forward to the next 1!"

Stephen Otty, Curriculum Manager for Hospitality, Travel and Aviation at Hugh Baird College, reflected on the success of the day:- "We are incredibly proud of the dedication and passion our students bring to their Hospitality and catering courses. It was clear how much they enjoyed working at The Municipal Hotel, and the experience was invaluable. They were well supported from the moment they arrived, and we've already secured 3 different work experience opportunities because of this event. We are very grateful to The Chefs' Forum team and The Municipal Hotel for making it all possible."

Several students stood out during the event, with:- Charlie Sharpe (back of house) and Chloe Prior (front of house) receiving special recognition for their exceptional performance. They were both awarded a signed copy of The Chefs' Knowledge; The Modern Culinary Repertoire, a valuable resource featuring 100 essential recipes, career advice, and interviews with top chefs.

In addition, 3 other Hugh Baird College students:- Katie Blundell, Chloe Prior, and Anthony Gilroy Delaney were offered part time roles at:- The Municipal Hotel, demonstrating the significant impact of this event on students' career development.

This collaboration between:- Hugh Baird College, The Chef's Forum, and The Municipal Hotel highlights the importance of hands on experience in shaping the future of Hospitality. The event not only celebrated the Region's culinary excellence but also served as a reminder of the vital role education plays in nurturing emerging talent within the industry.

For more information on:- Hospitality and Catering Courses, at:- Hugh Baird College, please visit:- HughBaird.AC.UK.

New research exposes UK's digital infrastructure divide

A spatial divide in broadband coverage, accessibility and speed across the UK and between rural and urban areas has been uncovered by University of Manchester researchers.

In an article in the newly released Policy@Manchester publication, On Infrastructure, Professor Cecilia Wong and Dr Helen Zheng note that, according to the Ofcom's 2023 Connected Nations report, 97% of all residential premises in the UK have access to superfast broadband of at least 30 Mbit/s. But a closer look at the numbers reveals that:- "England, Scotland and Wales (55% or less) are lagging behind Northern Ireland (90% and over) in a major way in terms of gaining access to full fibre broadband, and the spatial divide is also witnessed in gigabit cable broadband."

They add:- "Our data also highlights major urban/rural differentials in England, Scotland and Wales:- while 82% of residential premises in Northern Ireland's rural areas have access to full fibre/gigabit capable provision, the comparable figures for England, Wales and Scotland are at least halved."

The authors highlight the reliance on Government funded schemes to boost broadband coverage in hard-to-reach areas, with Northern Ireland doing especially well as a consequence of the confidence and supply agreement between the Democratic Unionist Party and the Conservatives after the 2017 general election.

Whilst acknowledging that the delivery of broadband infrastructure projects often involves local authorities and the devolved administrations, Wong and Zheng underline that the UK Government has primary responsibility for broadband policy and coverage targets.

They continue:- "When examining the funding distribution of Building Digital UK (a UK Government executive agency, responsible for bringing fast and reliable broadband and mobile coverage to hard-to-reach places across the UK) for superfast broadband development in 2020, it is clear that has been a strong spatial bias of Government spending as 73% was for England but less than 10% for Wales."

Wong and Zheng remind readers of the previous Conservative Government's policy commitment:- "to improve broadband connections to the very hard- to-reach premises in rural and coastal areas."

They write:- "The target was seen as overambitious due to the lack of commitment of sufficient funding. With a new Government, a placed based approach could award more powers to combined authority mayors, such as North Yorkshire and East Midlands, to make long term strategies and prioritise investment. Empowering local planners, working in tandem with communities to remove red tape and designate where improved broadband infrastructure projects are prioritised, may be a key to unlocking crucial access for some rural and coastal areas."

The authors warn that a lack of clarity on:- "how and where taxpayers' money will be spent" has provided less impetus for investors in the industry. But they argue:- "A place based approach, which tangibly shows the outcomes of investment in communities, could address this gap and encourage more local investment."

Wong and Zheng conclude:- "The dramatic turnaround of broadband provisions across urban and rural areas in Northern Ireland, however, serves as an exemplar (which Government, civil service working with industry and Ofcom could use as a blueprint), demonstrating that things can be done if there is a political will and the backing of funding resources."