College Students Host Annual Sunderland BiD Lunch

Catering and Hospitality students have recently hosted an annual three course lunch for the Sunderland Business Improvement District.

The Sunderland BiD host a twice annual lunch for businesses across the city, students at City Bistro have catered on both occasions at City Bistro. Delegates are invited from across the North East to purchase tickets for the event, which includes drinks, a three course meal and a guest speaker.

Students volunteer to take part in the event which helps to enhance their practical experience in this area of Hospitality. They are able to gain first-hand, valuable real life skills in both front and back of house, preparing, cooking, serving and cleaning down.

All students are involved throughout the week for preparation, the bistro was converted from a standard bistro set-up to a more formal banquets style layout.

The students successfully catered for 71 paying guests, enhancing their food and beverage knowledge and gaining invaluable practical experience of dealing with large functions. The type of experience helps students to gain valuable insight into the industry and encourages development before progressing onto further education or employment.

Rob Stewart Curriculum Lead in Hospitality, Tourism and Engagement at Sunderland College said:

“We love catering events like this. It gives our students a real insight into the world of work and valuable skills in their subject area. The experience gained in opportunities like this is impossible to replicate in a classroom or skills session so these events are vital for our student progression and development. It’s fantastic to see them become more confident each time.”

Chloe Gorringe, NVQ2 Hospitality Services student said:

“I love being involved in these events. I used to get quite nervous but they have helped to grow my confidence immensely. I’m really looking forward to taking part in more events and expanding my skills further.”

The college hopes to host more of these functions with the BiD in the future. If you are interested in hosting a business event at City Bistro, please get in touch to see how we can help.