College of food host school ‘Have a Go’ sessions | News

September 2025

New outreach initiative sees college of food host school ‘Have a Go’ sessions

By Sean Madden

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A new scheme has allowed students from almost twenty local schools and colleges to experience life in a fast-paced professional kitchen first-hand.

Birmingham College of Food's 'Have a Go' sessions show pupils a snapshot of life as a student in professional cookery, bakery and patisserie, and food and beverage services.

Designed to give young people experience of culinary arts, the initiative features tailored, dynamic and interactive sessions with expert University College Birmingham staff in schools, and in state-of-the-art kitchens, cutting-edge bakeries, and award-winning training restaurant facilities at the University’s city centre campus.

Through the sessions, students are introduced to the college of food and its wide variety of different courses, open days, and the application process, helping them to decide which courses whet their appetite well in advance of any further education decision-making.

The college's expert staff then guide students through a series of master classes.

In professional cookery a trained culinary chef talks pupils through the process of creating the perfect pasta sauce, before they able to have a go at making their own spaghetti, and other pasta, from scratch.

Those with a sweet tooth can get their hands messy in bakery and patisserie sessions, where they craft indulgent treats including doughnuts and cookies.

After working up a thirst, the students can turn their hands to mixing the perfect mocktail, with a session led by expert mixologists.

Giovanni Di-Vito, culinary chef and Interim Head of Department for Further Education hopes that these sessions will form the basis of a long and fruitful relationship between local schools and the college of food.

"We're hoping to use the college's status as a centre of excellence to teach young people the skills necessary to cook well in their own day-to-day lives while also sparking a passion for food that will inspire the next generation of hospitality professionals," he said.

Looking to the future, the college of food hopes to expand the roll-out and increase the variety of sessions offered to schools. This will include all-day demonstrations, more in-school sessions delivered by experienced professionals, and themed events allowing pupils the chance to experiment with ingredients and showcase their creative flair.

There are also plans to introduce competitions, with awards for young chef and waiter, and a bakery challenge.

“We want to showcase the innovative work we're doing and the opportunities it presents for schools and prospective students while sharing our own real world professional experiences," Giovanni said.

"Through this we can also help to address the skills shortage in the hospitality industry by exposing young people to the possibilities of an exciting, diverse and fulfilling career."

Read more about courses at Birmingham College of Food.

“We're aiming to provide meaningful industry insights, help students make informed choices about their future, and support their journey into further and higher education, leading to rewarding careers in the culinary and hospitality sector.”

Giovanni Di-Vito Culinary Chef and Interim Head of Department for Further Education, Birmingham College of Food