Our Very Own Master-Chefs Make a Virtual Return
Louise Innocent
/ Categories: News
Two very special alumni will be returning (virtually) to the academy to talk to students about their successful careers in the restaurant industry. Both are currently appearing on BBC One's MasterChef: The Professionals and displaying their impressive culinary talents as they battle it out against some of the best names in the business.
As part of a virtual event, Luke Rhodes and Reece Elliott will be joining us for a cooking demonstration and Q&A with Year 10s and 11s. The students are already busy preparing their questions and looking forward to delving into what it takes to make it as a professional chef, how to stay calm under pressure while being judged for the TV show and what the duo’s advice is for aspiring young cooks.
Luke Rhodes, who left SPA in 2010 to go on to study Catering at Sheffield College, is now a senior sous chef at Halifax Hall in Sheffield. He said:
“I am elated to be able to speak to the students at SPA. I will be giving a demonstration and look forward to discussing my career and hopefully inspiring some of them to go on and follow their dreams of being a chef. I have kept in touch with some of my old teachers who inspired me, so it will be great to be able to see them and share this personal success with them too.”
Reece Elliott, who left SPA in 2014 and is now a junior sous chef at The Cavendish Hotel in Baslow, said:
“I was honoured to be invited to speak to the students at SPA, it will be really good to talk to them about my journey and the career I have built in catering. I really hope that I am able to inspire some of the students to go on a career in the food industry. It was always my dream to be a chef. It’ll also be nice to see some of my old teachers who I know are still there.”
Mr Wainwright - Assistant Principal: Pupil Experience added:
“We cannot wait to welcome back Luke and Reece to join us for the virtual event and are so grateful to them for sparing the time. It is always a pleasure to see what our alumni have achieved and to show our current students how many exciting opportunities and career paths are available to them. It’s another great example of how we aim to embed Education with Character within our school.”