February 2025
Lee's Story
By Lee Desanges
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Lee Desanges
Chef Cookery Courses Level 2 and Level 3 (Professional Cookery)
A star of the street food scene
Brummie-born Lee really found his feet in the kitchen when he began studying at University College Birmingham: “As soon as I got to the college of food it was like the cogs started turning. I loved the way we were taught. For the lecturers it wasn’t just a nine-to-five, they really cared about the students,” he said.
“I did everything I could to get as much experience as possible – I entered competitions and even cooked with Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wearing, and for Princess Anne!”
After working as a restaurant manager and a freelance chef Lee returned to the University as a catering lecturer, but he was already busily working on his next venture.
He built a wood-fired oven in his back garden and threw pizza parties with friends. From here, he began to sell his creations at street food events, eventually winning big at both the British and European Street Food Awards before turning his hand to restaurants, and opening Baked in Brick in 2019.
After achieving such success, he remembers the impact studying at the college of food had on his development, and is keen to help the next generation to shine: “The University maintains such a good relationship with its graduate chefs that they’re all willing to come back and help out, do talks and give demonstrations.
“It’s so helpful for students to know how to get into the industry.”