Professional chef visits King’s Oak Academy

Professional chef James Dixon, General Manager at The Packhorse in Bath, visited Kings Oak Academy to share his expertise with Year 10 hospitality and catering students.

During his visit, James provided an insightful look into the life of a professional chef. He engaged students with a live cooking demonstration, showcasing one of the popular meals from The Packhorse menu.

This hands-on experience gave students a real taste of the skills and creativity required in the culinary field.

In addition to the demonstration, James emphasised the main aspects of food safety and hygiene, the value of relevant qualifications, and shared his own career pathway within the hospitality and catering industry.

His comprehensive discussion was particularly timely as it directly linked to the students’ upcoming exams, providing them with valuable insights and practical knowledge.

The visit was a great success, with students expressing increased enthusiasm and many aspiring to pursue careers in the hospitality industry.

Dan Jackson, King’s Oak’s Lead Practitioner in Health, Hospitality & Catering, PSHE & PE, who organised the visit, said: “James was absolutely amazing with our pupils. He gave them an insight into the hospitality and catering Industry and answered numerous questions around what it takes to be successful in the sector.

“Everyone at KOA would like to thank James for his time and we hope to do something similar again in the future.”