Another French Adventure

A group of ten second year students, eight chefs and two bakers, flew out to Marseille with lecturer Mandy Shorthouse. The group were to embark upon a three week placement in some of the city's top class, fine dining establishments, including the Michelin starred L'Epuisette and Table au Sud. Mandy reported back on their time in France.

"Working in unfamiliar surroundings and in extreme heat, they all adapted very quickly to their new environment. The employers were particularly impressed with the students' willingness to learn, motivation, commitment and interest shown in their work.

They all soon became fully accustomed to the French way of life including sampling exquisite food in the Michelin starred Peron Restaurant. This was an invaluable experience for us all, being able to appreciate fine dining from the other side of the hotplate.

In between split shifts, the students took advantage of the beautiful weather by taking a well earned rest for a couple of hours on the beaches along the Corniche. A boat trip across to the island of Frioul, stopping off at the 16th Century state prison Chateau D’If, famous for the fictional hero The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexader Dumas, added a little culture to their stay along with a visit to Aix-en Provence, the birthplace of 18th Century artist Cézanne.

The students coped admirably with the change in life, though never really mastered the art of laundering their own chef's whites – which became a regular part of my morning duties!

The students returned to Birmingham with memories of an extremely valuable experience and, brought the sunshine back with them."