Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) Hospitality & Catering students have spent a fantastic day working at Homewood Hotel & Spa, part of the Kaleidoscope group. Known for its fine dishes and prestigious location, the hotel offers a fantastic opportunity for the students to gain industry experience.
The Homewood House Party is an annual event celebrating the arrival of the summer season. The hotel invites employers, partners, and special VIP guests. This year, students from The Quantock Restaurant were lucky enough to be invited to help at the event as both front, and back, of house staff.
BTC has partnered with Homewood for four years and students have benefited greatly from their expertise and knowledge of the industry. This trip in particular, allowed students to experience a more lavish side of the hospitality industry and the high-pressure of big events but also the rewards that come with them.
Ed Fitzpatrick, General Manager of Homewood Hotel & Spa, said,
In this industry, there is a gap of young talent coming into environments like ours so I thought it would be great to get the students of BTC along to experience something like this, to broaden their idea of what hospitality is and I hope it’s something that will stick with them for when they go into the industry themselves.
The day started with a VIP lunch for 15 guests. After a glass of champagne or mocktail, lunch was served in the hotel’s La Taberna, and guests were serenaded by a lovely local band made up of previous BTC and Strode College students. Providing the front of house service were Freddie, James, Tyler, and Milo. Helping in the kitchens, we had Amber, Charlie, Nicole, Grace, and George W. Their responsibilities in the day consisted of event preparation, and supporting with the lunch.
‘Nial, Associate Lecturer, said:
I studied at the College 15 years ago and we had nothing like this. For the students to experience coming to work somewhere this prestigious is wonderful, they are really lucky to have this opportunity.
6pm is when the real party started – 500 guests arrived including celebrities, influencers, major local employers and guests of the hotel. There was outside cooking including the infamous Big Naths BBQ, bars of local brands free for all the guests, supercars parked up as you walk in, a live DJ set, axe throwing and minigolf. The students supporting with front of house were Freddie, George V, Lucie, Taylor, and Grace. Back of house were Kacper, Tom, and George W. Responsibilities for the evening included supporting the outside cooking stations, preparing for tomorrows’ a la carte, making and topping up drinks, and generally making sure the guests were enjoying themselves.
Jazz, Content Creator for the Kaleidoscope group, said,
It’s so important to provide the next generation with the experience to develop and grow on both a personal, and professional level. The students have done such a good job, you can tell how hardworking and passionate they are, it’s so refreshing to see!
This visit has been fantastic for the students, helping them to explore different future progression routes after their studies. Beyond the experience of the day, the guidance from the staff at Homewood was invaluable, the students were really taken under their wing and gained support and knowledge that will stay with them in their professional journeys.
For more information about Hospitality & Catering courses at BTC, please see here.
