Hospitality students in Oxford were given the chance to demonstrate their skills to leading visitor economy employers during a special lunch held as part of English Tourism Week.
The event was organised by Experience Oxfordshire in partnership with Activate Learning and brought together representatives from hospitality and tourism businesses across the county.
Hosted at Activate Learning’s hospitality school, the lunch featured a menu designed, prepared and served by students, giving invited guests an opportunity to meet potential future recruits while learners gained real-world experience.
Andy Slater, group director at the lifestyles faculty at Activate Learning, said the event had become an important part of students’ training.
He said: “This is the third Hospitality Lunch organised by Activate Learning with Experience Oxfordshire and it has become a highlight in the learners’ schedule. Tourism is a people profession and Activate Learning seeks to give our learners the skills to grow both academically and professionally.
“We are committed to supporting our learners and the hospitality sector by delivering training that allows our students to develop their confidence and competencies.”
Guests were served canapés followed by beetroot carpaccio with goat’s cheese and walnuts, alongside main courses including pan fried chicken supreme, white bean cassoulet with wild garlic, and miso glazed cauliflower. Desserts included vanilla panna cotta and vanilla crème brûlée served with roasted rhubarb.
Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon Oxford sales and marketing director Keeley Dennyschene praised the standard of service and confidence shown by the students, describing the lunch as high quality and professionally delivered.
Former students also attended, including representatives from The Feathers Hotel and Oxford Fine Dining, highlighting the career opportunities available through hospitality training.
Learner Vinnie Brown said the experience helped bring classroom learning into a live professional setting and supported ambitions to work in private catering and internationally.
During the wider tourism week, Experience Oxfordshire also arranged meetings between local tourism businesses and MPs, while promoting the county’s visitor offer at the British Tourism & Travel Show in Birmingham.
Hayley Beer-Gamage, chief executive of Experience Oxfordshire, said more than 40,000 people work in Oxfordshire’s visitor economy, with tourism accounting for 11 per cent of all county jobs.
