Glasgow Kelvin College Cookery students are getting the full hands-on catering experience  -  in their own kitchens!

Trying to study cookery and all things culinary while away from the well-equipped College training kitchens has been truly frustrating for the Professional Cookery and Hospitality students – with constant online tutorials about theory, healthy eating, nutrition etc.

So, the Hospitality and Catering course team got their heads together and have has come up with an innovative idea to get their students cooking – they’ll do the whole thing at home while watching a demonstration on video conferencing.

Not only that, but each week the students are paid a ‘float’, given a shopping list of ingredients and a step-by-step recipe for delicious meals and snacks that can be created without the use of the professional equipment but within the reach of the average kitchen facilities.

Lecturer, Drew Murray, has been piloting this with his classes.  Drew’s Demos have become a live video experience, a virtual cookery lesson, which students can participate in with their fellow students sharing the screen.

Drew is really enthusiastic about how the students are engaging with it;

“This gives them the whole experience  -  Budgeting, purchasing and achieving best value, planning and cooking – in many cases, meals for the entire family.

I’ve tried to give them a range of delicious recipes which cover the whole hospitality industry – from bistro food to snacks, from hearty dinners to fine dining on a budget.

We recognise that most of our students will have limited access to equipment and technology so we find ways around that and ensure that no student is made to feel excluded, especially at such a time with all the COVID restrictions in place.

The students are really enjoying it  -  and so are their families who are reaping the benefits of their growing culinary skills at home!”

Comments from students have been very positive:

“Thank you so much, Drew -  the best lesson I have ever seen this year!  l hope we will continue this season”

“Chef, thanks for today! Great lesson! I prepared a vegan version of this dish today.”

The lessons are now being rolled out by the entire Catering and Hospitality team and all cookery classes will get to experience this trailblazing way of working and gaining practical skills.

The onset of Level 4 Lockdown restrictions has required the delivery of lessons and practical skills to be more innovative and, when the campus buildings are open once again in the future, some of the lessons learned may well be put to good use and repurposed to create a slightly different model of learning.

Glasgow Kelvin College is keen to encourage innovation from its professional teaching staff and welcomes any models of learning which develop and increase the talent, vocational and life skills of its students.

Well done to everyone involved!