Staff and students at London South East Colleges’ BR6 Restaurant and Bakehouse in Orpington welcomed a very special guest through their doors on April 12.
London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, came along to the Orpington and District Labour Party annual general meeting as guest of honour. He managed to take in a short tour of the facilities, talk to students about their courses and even found time for an impromptu photoshoot.
Mr Khan was greeted at the door by Executive Director for Governance and Administration Jenny Pharo, Restaurant Manager Marcel Dureren and Sous Chefs Swarup Roy and Kirstie Ison. He was taken into the kitchens to view the magnificent facilities and chatted to students who were busy preparing meals for the guests.
The Mayor said: “I’m delighted to see first-hand the impact of GLA funding. BR6 Restaurant and Bakehouse is a powerful example of how funding has been used to help ensure that young people are career-ready and equipped with the skills employers need through real work experience.
“The hospitality students I met were an inspiration and have a vital role to play in helping us to close the skills gap in the London hospitality sector.”
Student David Harris from the Catering (Culinary Skills) Level 1 Certificate course has ambitions to become a top London chef one day and was one of the team of ten working on the night.
He said: “It was an honour to serve the London Mayor and other distinguished guests at the event. I dare say I will get to meet lots of other famous guests during my career and this is just the start. I spoke to the Mayor about what I want to do in my life and how I expect this course to help me achieve my ambitions. He was very complimentary about the food and the service he received in BR6.”
If you are considering a career in the hospitality and catering industries, London South East Colleges has a great range of courses to get you started. Visit www.LSEC.ac.uk
