Ron Kinton who co-authored the catering students’ bible ‘Practical Cookery’ alongside Victor Ceserani, earlier this month celebrated his 100th birthday.
Kinton commenced his career with a three year chef training course at Westminster Hotel School before working in kitchens at the Waldorf Hotel and Claridge’s. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Kinton joined the Army Catering Corps, working his way up to becoming a Sergeant Instructor at the Army Catering School of Cookery.
After the war, he returned to Claridge’s, then on to industrial giant ICI, where he worked on party’s. Then deciding that teaching was the way forward, Kinton enrolled in a teacher training course at Garnett College, University of London.
He was one of the founding staff members at the Acton Hotel School, under the Principal, Mary King. In 1962, Acton moved to a new location in Ealing, becoming a senior lecturer at the Ealing School of Hotel Keeping and Catering, which subsequently became the University of West London.
Both Kinton and fellow lecturer Victor Ceserani realised that there was a need for a dedicated cookery book for catering students. Writing everything in longhand they produced the first of ten editions of ‘Practical Cookery’ followed closely by ‘The Theory of Catering’. These books are now used by catering students throughout the world.
Kinton stands tall as an early exponent and leading light in the furtherment of education in the Hospitality Industry.
To illustrate the affection afforded Kinton by past students, in 2016 eight of the ten students who made up his tutorial group at Acton in 1961 gathered for a celebration lunch, all having enjoyed rewarding careers in the industry, one making the trip from Hawaii.
In recognition of Ron’s massive contribution to catering education, Westminster Kingsway and the Institute of Hospitality are to inaugurate ‘The Ronald Kinton Centenary Lecture’. It will become an annual event featuring speakers who are alumni of Westminster Kingsway.
The Ronald Kinton Centenary Lecture will broadcast through the internet to other Hotel Schools and Universities around the world, and is available afterwards from the Institute’s digital library.
H&C News would like to congratulate Ron Kinton on both his 100th birthday and his contribution to catering.
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