Hospitality & Catering students with the AA Highly Commended Rosette in Origins restaurant

For the seventh year running, Origins has maintained the AA Highly Commended Rosette Award. It is the only college restaurant in Shropshire to hold this prestigious status.

The AA has been assessing the quality of restaurants since 1912. Earlier this year, Origins was visited by one of their inspectors, who found the standard of food and service to be exceptional.

The College Rosette Scheme is designed to recognise restaurants with a clear commitment to students and the industry, where food is prepared and served with care and understanding to a standard that stands out in the local area. Furthermore, restaurants must demonstrate that they are commercially viable and have clear links with the local industry.

The inspector praised Origins for its professionalism, calling it “an environment which feels more in line with a commercial restaurant as opposed to a training facility, hence offering much to both students and guests.”

The outstanding elements of the dining experience were the meet and greet at the entrance, the well-presented menu, the restaurant’s open-plan layout with views into the kitchen, and the main course of pan-roasted chicken breast.

SCG’s Hospitality & Catering students were acknowledged for having excellent attitudes towards their work, with the inspector saying that it was good to see the help and support that students across different levels of study offered each other.

Daniel Gibbons, Senior Chef Lecturer, said: “I am overjoyed that we have once again been awarded the AA Highly Commended College Rosette. The industry has suffered immeasurably with the aftermath of COVID-19, particularly in terms of the effect it has had on young chefs coming up through the ranks, so to achieve this award once again is a real testament to all the hard work that the students and staff put into the restaurant.”

He concluded: “To be recognised as a college restaurant that mirrors a realistic hospitality environment, whilst teaching students to such a high standard, is a great achievement for the whole department.”

On top of the AA Rosette, Origins has also been awarded the People 1st Gold Accreditation for hospitality training and has been given Centre of Excellence status for Food and Beverage.

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