COOKERY students at a Hampshire college teamed up with some of the best chefs in the industry to produce a special menu.

Fareham College catering and hospitality students hosted a visit from the ‘Exclusive Chefs Academy’, a career development programme created to increase opportunities for chefs within the Exclusive Hotels and Venues Group which has a number of luxury hotels and spa faculties across Hampshire, Wiltshire and Surrey.

As part of the day, the six chefs from the hotel group worked in pairs with Fareham College students to deliver a menu designed by the chef academy.

The academy is led by Andy Mackenzie who has been a chef with the company for nearly 30 years.

The menu was then served up at the college’s commercial restaurant, Avenue 141.

Patrick McLoughlin, hospitality and catering lecturer at Fareham College, said: “It is great to host the ‘Exclusive Chefs Academy’ here because it has given our students the unique opportunity to work alongside professional chefs and improve their understanding of what it is like to work in a professional kitchen.

“We have found the day enormously beneficial and I’m incredibly grateful to the Exclusive Hotels & Venue Group.”

Andy McKenzie from Exclusive Hotels & Venue Group added: “We want to inspire the future of hospitality and the best way to do that is to get amongst training students and, hopefully, encourage them to pursue a career in the industry.

“Fareham College does a fantastic job of preparing students for employment which is why we are here today - to support young chefs who are the future of our profession.”