Viscount Thurso (left) presenting the College of the Year Award 2010 to Peter Harvey, lecturer at Stratford-upon-Avon College.

The Academy of Food and Wine Service recently awarded Stratford-upon-Avon College as their College of the Year 2010.

John Thurso MP, the Viscount Thurso, presented the award to Peter Harvey, lecturer at the College, at a ceremony at the Innholder’s Hall in London on 22^nd October. The Awards celebrate and reward inspiring people and organisations whose hard work has raised the standards of service and the profile of the industry.

Charles Anderson, deputy principal, said, “The College is delighted to be successful in this prestigious award. It is especially pleasing as the College was nominated by the industry for the work we do in promoting and delivering training for the catering industry which is such an important part of the local economy.”

Ashley Shaw, Westbury Mayfair, commented, “The Academy works with many colleges up and down the country but every now and then one stands out in providing young people in our industry with outstanding support and encouragement.

“In the last few years, the hard work of the lecturers at the College has gone largely unnoticed but the calibre of the students has not. The number of students entering the industry is an achievement in itself and the successes of the students themselves are a credit to their previous learning. This year we singled out Stratford-upon-Avon College as our very worthy winner.”

Stratford-upon-Avon College is a recognised centre of excellence in hospitality and catering and boasts world-class facilities and state-of-the-art equipment. The College was the first college in the country to achieve the Training Quality Standard with excellence in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism, in recognition of its outstanding work with employers.  

The Academy Bar and Restaurant is an excellent training centre for catering students to develop their culinary skills. With its outstanding links to industry and specialist staff, the College’s hospitality and catering students are often recruited by top London hotels. Each year a five star hotel in London conducts a charity dinner at the College. Senior chefs and front of house teams from Claridges travel to the College to train and guide students in preparing and serving food that would be acceptable in this world-renowned hotel.

Stratford-upon-Avon College has recently opened a brand-new training restaurant, Platform One at Warwickshire College’s new site in Rugby where the College offers a number of catering courses.

The Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS) was established in 1988 and is the professional body for front-of-house service. It is dedicated to improving the status and awareness of food and beverage service as a viable career choice, raising standards across the industry and encouraging teamwork with colleagues. AFWS offers advice and training to anyone following, or considering, a career as a sommelier, wine waiter, waiter, bar manager or restaurant manager. For more information visit www.afws.co.uk|.

For more information, email marketing@stratford.ac.uk|.