Partnership will give food for thought College teams up with Sodexo for festival
A partnership between Perth College UHI and leading global food and facilities services company Sodexo has served up support for this summer’s Perthshire On A Plate (POAP) food festival.
Sodexo’s support at this annual food and drink showcase at Perth Show will allow students within the college’s food studies and hospitality department to work alongside both celebrity and leading local chefs during the two-day festival at Perth’s South Inch on Friday and Saturday, August 3 and 4.
Sector manager for food studies and hospitality at the college, Ian Gibb, said: “Our students have been helping both behind the scenes and on stage at POAP since the food festival first launched in 2010.
“Their food preparation, cookery management and delivery support to all the showcase chefs has been hugely rewarding for the students. Many have secured work placements and full-time employment with the chefs they work with.”
Mr Gibb said POAP offered the perfect two-day training ground for students eager to watch and learn from skilled chefs - experience that was invaluable in preparation for the workplace.
He added: “To work alongside chefs such as Rosemary Shrager, JeanChristophe Novelli and Tony Singh - as well as widely acclaimed awardwinning local chefs - is exciting and rewarding for everyone involved.”
Jonathan Keitch, account director for Sodexo Universities, who provide hospitality and catering services at Perth College UHI campus, said a huge part of their support was to help with curriculum development and provide learning opportunities and internships for the students.
He said: “POAP is a regional showcase for our industry.
“We want parents and young people in the audience to be enthused by what they see and consider food and hospitality as a career option and Perth College UHI as the ideal training ground.
“We’re happy to sponsor this amazing food and drink event and help provide a platform for our local students to work alongside those who have made a successful career in the industry.”
Vicki Unite, chief executive of Perthshire Chamber of Commerce and co-organiser of Perthshire On A Plate, added: “We simply couldn’t deliver the festival at the high standard we do without their amazing on-stage and behind-the-scenes support. Keitch (Sodexo), Vicki Unite (POAP) and Ian Gibb (Perth College UHI) celebrate their partnership with some of the students who will be involved in this year’s Perthshire On A Plate food festival
“Ian Gibb and his team work tirelessly to support our featured chefs throughout the two-day festival and ensure a seamless first class demonstrations programme. Their professionalism, enthusiasm, obvious enjoyment and hard work is a reflection of the training they receive at Perth College UHI and we’re delighted to have them play a key role again in 2018.”