All Episodes

October 29, 2024 60 mins

Join us at UCB restaurant as we delve into the unique training environment for aspiring chefs at University College Birmingham. Our guest, a seasoned chef and head of the culinary arts department, talks about the transition from bustling dinners to a quiet, reflective time suited for maintenance and preparations. Discover how the college's realistic working environments, including training kitchens and a public-facing restaurant, prepare students for the unpredictability of a career in hospitality. Learn about the chef's vibrant journey from Reading to Birmingham, his experiences in the industry, and the importance of both formal training and hands-on learning. This episode offers invaluable insights for anyone considering a career in culinary arts, highlighting the significance of industry standards and the essential qualities of future hospitality leaders.

00:00 Welcome to UCB Restaurant

00:15 The Quiet Before the Storm

01:08 Training the Next Generation

01:49 Public Facing Restaurant

02:43 Real-World Learning

04:27 Dealing with Difficult Customers

10:49 The Chef's Journey

14:49 Birmingham's Food Scene

21:02 Formal Training vs. Self-Taught

25:08 Student Success Stories

26:45 Front of House Experience

27:35 Celebrating Bakers

28:37 Hospitality Job Market

29:51 Journey into Teaching

34:37 Advice for Aspiring Chefs

36:08 Common Sense in the Kitchen

41:39 Final Thoughts and Reflections

42:24 Rapid Fire Questions

Find Out More About UCB- https://www.ucb.ac.uk/

Sponsors

Stock Local Craft Rum Burning Barn In Your Venue-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.burningbarnrum.com/pages/trade-1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Buy Burning Barn Rum-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.burningbarnrum.com/collections/3-rums⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Burning Barn On Insta-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/burningbarnrum/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Food Delivery Businesses Sign Up & Save Money With Easy Food Here-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://easyfood.co.uk/restaurant-opportunity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Download Easy Food App Here-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://easyfood.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Easy Food On Insta-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/easyfood.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Easy Food West Mids-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/easyfood.westmidlands/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Opening Drone Footage From Rob At Alto Drones-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/alto.drones/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music From Tom Ford-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thetennischampion/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Us

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/breakingbreadpodcastbirmingham/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/PodcastBread ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/breakingbreadpodcastuk ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

For full show notes visit our Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://breakingbreadbirmingham.co.uk

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

The Joe Rogan Experience

The Joe Rogan Experience

The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.