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An intensive four week bootcamp has been completed by a group of aspiring chefs from the Southern Regional College in Newry.
Throughout the bootcamp, students honed their skills, crafting a variety of mouthwatering dishes from scratch. The concluding celebratory event served as a platform to exhibit their established expertise, leaving guests impressed with their culinary creations.
Fully funded by the Newry Mourne and Down Labour Market Partnership the bootcamp saw eleven participants successfully complete the programme, culminating in a showcase celebratory lunch at SRC’s Graduate Restaurant at the Newry East Campus.
Acknowledging the invaluable support from establishments like Killeavy Castle Estate, The Whistledown Hotel, and The Canal Court Hotel, participants were provided with practical placement opportunities to further polish their talents. Some even seized employment offers directly from these placements. Other participants aimed to utilise this experience to expand their skill set, with some participants expressing aspirations of establishing their own small café or restaurant venue in the future.
Meanwhile, other participants seek return to the College to expand their hospitality and catering qualifications which range from patisserie and confectionary to recreational courses in festive food, fish dishes, Italian and Mediterranean dishes.
Teresa Armstrong participant of the programme commented “I have thoroughly enjoyed this four-week programme so much so that it has inspired me to continue learning. I plan to enrol onto the level 2 patisserie and confectionary course offered within Southern Regional College to further enhance my knowledge.”
Jeffrey Smyth, Business Development Executive at Southern Regional College’s Business Support and Innovation Team said it was a privilege to be involved in coordinating the programme. "Seeing students gain confidence in cooking top-tier dishes, navigate an industrial kitchen, and refine their culinary expertise was truly remarkable. The exceptional quality of the dishes they created spoke volumes, and it was heartwarming for loved ones to witness their accomplishments during the graduation ceremony.”
Kytrina Mullan, Skills and Employability Officer for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council added “I was thrilled to attend the celebration event at SRC and to sample the fantastic range of fare produced by participants of the Chef Bootcamp Employability Academy. Newry, Mourne and Down Labour Market Partnership were delighted to provide this opportunity for individuals with an appetite to gain new skills and consider the hospitality sector as a viable career option, while giving local employers access to suitably qualified potential employees.”
