Q&A
School Food Takes Centre Stage at Leiths Careers Fair
When Chef Trainer Andy Pycroft represented Chefs in Schools at renowned culinary school Leiths’ recent careers fair, he was surrounded by luxury hotel groups and high-end restaurant brands. We caught up with him to find out what happens when school food stands alongside the best in hospitality and aspiring chefs discover it could be a serious career option.
Who showed up?
School leavers getting into hospitality, career changers: finance and advertising professionals mainly, and chefs looking to upskill and find a new avenue.
Were people surprised that school food was even an option for trained chefs?
Absolutely. Everyone was intrigued. In fact I’d say our stand sparked some of the day’s most engaged conversations!
For example, I had several conversations about progression; in cheffing it caps at head chef or exec chef, but with schools you can think about width rather than height. How much can you do in your role? How much can you provide for the school and community?
Was there a moment when you saw someone’s perception shift?
Three young people became very engaged and realised the potential of school food. They already knew that hospitality can be hard work with long, anti-social hours. That really made them consider school food as an option.
Once people got past the “jam roly-poly and beige dinners” stereotype, what did they want to know?
Budgets, scale, spice levels, fried foods, and nutrition. People were really interested in transparency around nutritious food, especially some of our menu items that feature ‘hidden veg’, like butternut squash brownies.
What parts of the job excited people most?
Recipe development and service. And the hours and holidays!
How did showcasing chefs like Amber Francis and Nathan Scarlett help?
Chefs like Amber and Nathan who made the move from high-end restaurants to school kitchens are the perfect example of how it can be a great career choice and that school food is absolutely worthy of highly skilled and dedicated individuals.
If someone left the fair with one new idea about school food, what do you hope it was?
I hope I helped them understand the benefits and the beauty of working in school food. It allows you to contribute to hundreds of young people’s lives, not just to their stomachs, but their physical and mental health, their cultural understanding, and wider societal implications. It’s a brilliant thing.