Westminster Kingsway College’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts students will play a key role in one of the most important evenings in the UK culinary calendar, when they support the national final of the prestigious Roux Scholarship, which is being hosted by the college this year.

The final, being held on Monday 25 October, will see six regional winners – who have already made it through an online application process and regional finals – compete against each other and the clock in a gruelling cook-off in WestKing’s kitchens.

The six finalists’ dishes will be judged by an expert panel led by Honorary President of Judges Björn Frantzén, from the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Frantzén in Stockholm, and the winner will be announced that evening at an exclusive awards ceremony in the college’s Vincent Rooms restaurant. The evening event features a special dinner cooked by the three most recent Roux scholars, Spencer Metzger (who won in 2019), Martin Carabott (2018) and Luke Selby (2017), who will be supported by WestKing students.

Marc Whitley, Hospitality, Food and Beverage Lecturer, said: “We are delighted and honoured to be hosting this year’s Roux Scholarship finals and dinner. As well as giving the six finalists the chance to cook their final dishes in our kitchens, we are very grateful to the Roux family for giving our students the opportunity to work with three great chefs to create and serve the awards ceremony dinner. It’s a unique experience for the students and a great honour for the college.”

About the Roux Scholarship

The Roux Scholarship is an annual award for up-and-coming UK chefs. It was established in 1983 and has become one of the most acclaimed chef competitions in the UK, with many scholars having gone on to win Michelin stars themselves. Previous winners include Sat Bains, Simon Hulstone and former WestKing Culinary student Frederick Forster.

One winner is selected each year, who receives up to £12,000 to support their career development and an invitation to cook and train under the supervision of a leading chef at a prestigious three-star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world for up to three months.

The 2020 Roux Scholarship award was postponed last year due to the COVID pandemic, so this will be the first time in two years that a scholarship has been awarded.

Speaking in The Caterer magazine recently, Roux Scholarship Chairman Alain Roux said: “After so many dreadful months, we’re now just weeks away from finding our 2020 scholar. The anticipation is building for a truly memorable finale. I cannot wait to get back in the kitchen with our judges and competitors. The award ceremony will mark the end of a competition like no other as we celebrate a brighter future.

For more information, visit the Roux Scholarship website. The announcement of the winner will be livestreamed via the Roux Scholarship website and its YouTube channel.

Westminster Kingsway College has unrivalled connections and contacts in the hospitality industry, which means we can give students who study hospitality and the culinary arts with us, amazing opportunities like the chance to work at prestigious events like the Roux Scholarship finals.

To find out more about out culinary courses and apply to study with us, click here.

Students at CONEL celebrated as they overcame the challenges of the COVID pandemic to achieve a fantastic set of GCSE results.

The college saw 45.3 per cent achieve 9-4 grades in Maths and 35.9 per cent of students attain the same grades in English. Many were retaking GCSEs or taking them for the first time with some having English as a second language. Adult students were particularly strong in Maths where 71.4 per cent achieved 9-4 grades while 58.9 per cent attained the same grades in English.

Students did not sit exams this year due to COVID-19 with their grades being determined by teachers’ assessment of their actual evidence-based ability rather than predicted grades. 

Maryna Borsuk, 32, took the first step towards her dream of becoming a teacher after achieving a grade 9 in Maths while also studying an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course.

She said: “I am overwhelmed and very surprised. Getting this result is good for my future because I want to study teaching. I’ve been so happy and want to study more and do GCSE English next year. It will be difficult, but I will do everything I can to pass this exam.”

Maryna, who lives in Enfield, came to the UK from Ukraine three years ago, where she worked in various jobs in retail, security, factories and farming. 

She said: “I thought about accounting and teaching, but decided that working with students and explaining things to them would give me more pleasure than numbers and paperwork.

Maryna was full of praise for her college tutors who have inspired her career ambitions.

She said: “It was difficult learning online, but the teachers did everything they could to help. If I had any questions that they did not have time to answer in class I could email them and they would respond in their private time. They’ve been amazing.”

Mohamed Farah, 19, from Enfield, attained a grade 9 in Maths while completing an IT Level 3 Extended Diploma after coming to the UK from Somalia following a year in Cyprus.

He said: “I am really pleased. I never thought I would get a grade 9. I attended every class and my teacher was very helpful. He gave us extra hours revision and everything we needed to succeed.

“He saw my potential and put me in for the higher assessment, and I’m glad he did. I’m very happy and couldn’t have asked for more.”

Mohamed hopes to go on to a degree apprenticeship and a career in data analytics when he has completed his diploma at CONEL.

Michelle Bailey, 39, also from Enfield, achieved a grade 7 in English and hopes to continue her education on an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Nursing course at CONEL.

She said: “I’m ecstatic and so happy. I’ve just recovered from COVID and had a lot of chest pain, but I’ll take it with this good news. This is absolutely amazing.

“Studying in lockdown was extremely hard. The teachers told us what we need to work on and really encouraged and motivated us. I really pushed myself and studied every chance I got. We did a lot of assessments instead of exams, which was good but a lot of work. I preferred it in some ways because I get nervous – it’s been more than 20 years since I’ve done an exam!

“I would walk past the college and say to myself, ‘I’m going to see you again in September,’ and I’m now so excited about coming back and learning more.”

The mum-of-three came to the UK from Jamaica in 2002 and applied for the Access course but family commitments and the cost stopped her from enrolling. Her visa then expired and she was unable to work for seven years before getting jobs in homecare and retail.

She said: “Nursing is something I’ve always wanted to do. Back home in Jamaica my grandmother was a missionary, and I would go with her to help the disabled, visually impaired and those less fortunate. My mum and auntie are nurses, so I come from a very caring family.

“My neighbour was always saying I should do something for myself now the kids are older. I’ve decided to go for it. I don’t care how hard or stressful it is, I really want to do it.”

CONEL runs GCSE and Functional Skills courses in English and Maths along with ESOL courses from Entry Level to Level 1 covering listening, speaking, reading and writing.

The college also offers vocational courses in Accounting, Business, Beauty Therapy, Childcare, Construction, Digital Media, Engineering, Hairdressing, Health and Social Care, Music, Public Services, Science, Sport and Travel and Tourism.

All courses at CONEL are free up to Level 2.

CONEL is part of Capital City College Group, which also comprises City and Islington College and Westminster Kingsway College, and apprenticeship and training provider Capital City College Training.

Kurt Hintz, Executive Principal of Capital City College Group, said: “We are very proud of the great results of our students after such a disrupted and difficult period. Our students have shown huge amounts of dedication, perseverance and resilience in adversity which has prepared them well for their future education and careers. 

“We congratulate all of our students on their results and wish them well in their next steps. We would also like to give special thanks to our teachers and support staff who worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to secure the life chances of their students.”

Find out more about English, Maths and ESOL courses.

Students at City and Islington College and Westminster Kingsway College celebrated as they overcame the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve a fantastic set of A Level results. CANDI saw 23.2 per cent of students achieve A*-A grades and 75 per cent gain A*-C grades while WestKing saw 21% of students attain A*-A grades and 73.5% gain A* -C grades.

Students did not sit exams this year due to COVID-19 with their grades being determined by teachers’ assessment of their actual evidence-based ability, rather than predicted grades. Among this year’s top performers was CANDI student Lily Burge-Thomas, 18, who is going to study Architecture at Cambridge University where her mum studied Classics.

She said: “I’m totally ecstatic. Honestly, after these difficult two years it feels like all the hard work has paid off, and I’m really excited to be going to Cambridge and continuing my educational journey. My teachers have been amazing and really supportive. I came from a school where they really pushed you very hard to CANDI where you had to push yourself and be a lot more self-driven. I don’t know if it was the tough love of my old school or the kindness and support at CANDI but I got the results.”

Muhsin Chowdury, 18, gained three As in Politics, Media Studies and English Literature and Language and is heading to the University of West London to study Broadcasting and Digital Journalism. He said: “I had a difficult time during COVID with some of my family members seriously ill and in hospital. My teachers were exceptional and it was a privilege to be taken under their wing. The assurances I received from them during that period of deep uncertainty really helped me through it.”

WestKing student Emma Breatcliffe 18, achieved A grades in Philosophy, Biology and Mathematics and is going to study Physiotherapy at Brunel University. She said: “My main feeling is relief! Almost all of my A Level courses were online during the pandemic, and it was hard sometimes keeping homelife and school separate. My teachers were very responsive though. When I emailed any of them with a question, they came straight back to me.”

Elias Hashemi, 20, attained an A* in Maths, A in Chemistry and a B in Biology and is going to Southampton University to study Maths and Finance. He said: “I feel good. I’d had some personal problems and had to take two years away from studying, so when I came back, I felt like I was in the deep end. But I came back a bit older and wiser and concentrated on my studies.”

A Level results day also saw the release of results for vocational qualifications.

CANDI student Freddie Cook, 18, gained a triple Distinction in his Public Services diploma and is going to the University of Greenwich to study Criminology with Criminal Justice. He said: “I am looking to work in border security but also considering teaching public services after the positive experience I‘ve had at CANDI. I went through some tough times while studying and my teachers really helped give me the support I needed. For me, CANDI was like a second family.”

Kurt Hintz, Executive Principal of CCCG, said: “We are very proud of the great results of our students after such a disrupted and difficult two-year period. Our students have shown huge amounts of dedication, perseverance and resilience in adversity, which has prepared them well for their future university education and careers.

“We congratulate all of our students on their results and wish them well in their next steps. We would also like to give special thanks to our teachers and support staff who worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to secure these results.”