Keen entrepreneurs from Kesgrave High School visited the Brudenell and White Lion Hotels in Aldeburgh recently to learn about the hospitality industry.
The year eight students took part in a Dragons Den style project earlier this year at the school where they were tasked with designing and launching a new restaurant concept. Each team had a business manager, chef, marketing manager and finance manager.
Peter Osborne, TA Hotel Collection Managing Director, was one of three judges who saw the final 10 teams’ pitches and decided upon the winner – a 50s style dessert diner.
On Thursday, 22nd June, 10 students were invited to two of the TA Hotel Collection’s iconic properties – The Brudenell Hotel and The White Lion Hotel, in Aldeburgh, to get a feel for what working in hospitality is really like.
The 12 and 13 year olds were given a tour around the hotels, spending time with reception, housekeeping and chefs in the kitchen, getting a taste for what each role involves.
Mr Osborne said: “It was a pleasure to be invited to judge the Dragons Den competition earlier this year and after seeing the students’ passion and enthusiasm for the industry, I was delighted to be able to offer them a tour and a taste of our hotels on the coast.
“It was great to be able to show them the types of jobs that are on offer within the industry and to demonstrate how a job can develop into a career here.”
Chris Finch, Head of Year Eight at Kesgrave High School added; “The pupils had a fantastic experience visiting the Brudenell and White Lion hotels and the Sea Spice Indian restaurant. All the staff we came into contact with were brilliant; they were welcoming, enthusiastic and spoke with real passionate about the job they do and the service they provide to customers.
“The pupils were given tours of all three establishments and met with personnel from different areas of the business, this included the finance directors who gave them a talk about the business side of the company. They also had experience of working in front of house, the kitchen and housekeeping and even got to sample fine dining cuisine at the Brudenell and traditional curry at Sea Spice, which the pupils just loved.
“They received a brilliant insight into how the hotel and hospitality industry works. It was a great day for the pupils and a fantastic advert for the hospitality industry, which a number of the pupils are now considering as a future career.
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