HOSPITALITY students from Wiltshire College & University Centre were given a behind-the-scenes look at a catering operation very different from fine dining, but with the same focus on quality when they visited the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
Our Deputy Head of Hospitality Steve Lloyd organised the visit after hearing how the hospital’s catering operation had recently been upgraded.
Level 3 students were given a tour of the whole department – from the delivery and cold store area through to the prep rooms and kitchens to see how the hospital’s chefs prepare and distribute almost 2,500 meals every day.
“It was quite an eye opener for the students,” said Steve. “I think they were impressed by what a good working environment it is there and how efficiently it runs.”
Students were shown how carefully the hospital controls the movement of food from delivery to storage to minimise contamination in an environment where patient wellbeing is paramount.
“We had a good chat about allergies and nutrition and how they are catering for those people that need different diets,” said Steve.
“We also heard how the staff don’t work past 7pm and are only in two weekends out of four, that’s something they wouldn’t have heard before because obviously hospitality can be very unsocial hours.”
Students, who were presented with goodie bags at the end of their visit and were impressed by the scale of the operation. “It’s all big numbers, they go through 72,000 packets of sausages a year, for example,” said Steve. “They have to have their meals out by a certain time and make sure they stay warm even when they are going up to the wards.
“It can be unpredictable as well because they don’t know how many patients are coming in. But they have to maintain the quality and the consistency because eating properly is part of the patients’ recovery.”
The visit was designed to open students’ eyes to career possibilities. “I want them to see what a big industry this is and how many opportunities there are,” he said. “We talk a lot about the five star restaurants and hotels, this is a different challenge but quality still matters.
“Part of our job is to show the students what’s out there and how they can use the skills we teach them.”
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