Baboucarr Sanneh

Department of Birmingham College of Food

Senior Lecturer

Academic qualifications

MSc, MA, BSc (Hons), FdA

Email

bsanneh@ucb.ac.uk

“I’ve worked with Heston Blumenthal and the Fat Duck team and cooked for royals, celebrities, scientists, and politicians. I’ve developed my own NPD product, and I currently have my own food supply chain company.”

Culinary Arts students at University College Birmingham

With over 25 years of experience as a professional chef in the UK and abroad, I bring a wealth of industry insight into the classroom. I’ve worked in a variety of settings, from high-end restaurants to international kitchens, and now run my own food supply chain company. I’ve also successfully developed my own NPD product that reached the market, giving me first-hand knowledge of what it takes to innovate in the food industry.

My background also includes being a Study Programme Owner (SPO) and Chef Lecturer in further education, where I designed programmes and led teams to deliver industry-relevant qualifications. I’m particularly proud to have worked with Heston Blumenthal and his The Fat Duck restaurant team to develop a curriculum that meets current industry standards. Here at UCB, I enjoy sharing case studies from my own experience and inspiring students to think creatively and critically about the industry.

I serve as a personal tutor and module leader for the Culinary Arts Management course at Master’s Level. My expertise centres around advanced professional cookery, food law and code of conduct, food supply chain management, food and beverage (F&B) operations, new product development, and sensory attribute science. My teaching at UCB focuses on classical professional cookery, F&B operations management, new product development (NPD), and managing across cultures.

I’ve won an array of awards throughout my career, from the ‘Victoria Award’ with Westminster Kingsway College London for being the most innovative student, to the BritCa competition in the USA, where my team won in the new product development category. I also won a special award for innovation at the City of Oxford College (powered by the Activate Learning Group). I’ve also had the privilege of working at the Royal Society of Science in London, and cooking for royals, celebrities, scientists and politicians.

Students describe my classes as engaging, friendly, and student-led. I take pride in being a good listener and supporting each student’s individual journey. I value cultural diversity, and the fact that there’s never a dull moment here at UCB.

When I’m not working, I love spending time with my family and travelling to explore market streets at home and abroad and call these my “gastro tours.” I’ve also enjoyed the BBC’s The Food Chain series. Finally, my approach to life and work is shaped by my Dad’s wise words: “Never fit a square peg in a round hole.”