Why Stoke on Trent College for Hospitality & Catering?

If you are interested in the wonderful world of food and all it’s creativity, this is the place for you. With us, you will explore the exciting and diverse world of hospitality, professional cookery, confectionary and patisserie. You will get a breadth of experience in a wide range of cuisines and types of food, as well as learning the up and coming themes and trends within the food industry. You will also gain valuable experience by working in our College Restaurant.

Find out more about our Hospitality & Catering courses

The courses are delivered by industry professionals and we also have strong links with local and national employers that will come and run masterclasses with you throughout the year. We offer courses from Level 1 up to Level 3 and also within the Level 2 and 3 provision, we offer two different pathways. We offer the Professional Cookery or Gastronomy Pathway and the Confectionary and Patisserie pathway for those that have a keen interest in pastry, baking and desserts.

Whether you’d love to run your own street food business or work in a top restaurant, we’ll help you get there.  

Life at SOTC │ Hospitality & Catering

Hospitality & Catering Facilities at Stoke on Trent College

Our Feasted Project involves working chefs in the industry, many of whom have their own business, to shape our courses, all aimed at equipping you with the skills and understanding of what working in that environment takes and how to be a success. 

You’ll be taught by an experienced team and we work with you to help you to make the most out of your College experience, ensuring you have the right student support, careers advice and pathway that suits you. 

MSK – we are part of the MSK academy, there are only 4 in the country. We work alongside MSK, using their products to produce different elements to our cooking. MSK come and give Masterclasses throughout the year and we partake in several competitions associated with them.

Electrolux – come and deliver Masterclasses across the curriculum to all our learners, they sponsored our college restaurant throughout the Covid restrictions, allowing us to offer a Street food style of service to our staff and students. Encourage our learner to participate in competitions and the opportunities to work alongside their developmental chefs.

Steelite – recently onboard with our department, key sponsors of our recently re-opened college restaurant. Bringing in lots of new chefs from around the country to see the plate ware in use with learner’s food, encouraging collaboration with employers and chefs, to encourage our learners into the industry.

JCA and schools – Compass catering deliver our Junior chefs academy for our feeder schools, in turn we train their apprentice students here at college, they also offer and allow us access to a national network of other employers for our learners to join and work alongside.

Work Experience – we have 4 multinational companies we use, all based here in the city, this is expanding to 10 for the forthcoming year, and although our 19 plus learners don’t need to undertake work experience as part of the studies, we have found that the adults really find work experience rewarding and beneficial, we currently have only 10% of our adult learners who haven’t secured work from going on work experience.

I really enjoy my course – I chose catering because it was the right course for me and I wanted to learn new skills.

The facilities are great and I’ve enjoyed taking part in peer mentoring. I’m hoping to go on to study other courses at college once I complete this course.

Rawa Mahmmoudi

Catering Student
Rawa Mahmmoudi