East Sussex College Hosts Alumni Dinner

East Sussex College recently held an Alumni Dinner at the College's Kings Restaurant in Eastbourne.

Former Catering students who completed their studies at the College during the 2015/16 academic year returned to ESC to join forces with current students in orchestrating a complete dinner service. Among the esteemed alumni present were Charlie Simmons, Jake Cranch, and Lewis Wren, all of whom have since forged successful careers in the industry.

Charlie, currently serving as Sous Chef at Wiston Estate and a two-time nominee for the Sussex Young Chef award, shared his journey since leaving college. “Since leaving college I’ve worked in lots of different restaurants and hotels. To name some of the more special ones, The Pass at South Lodge Hotel, the Taster Room at Rathfinny Estate, Horsted Place Hotel, and I’ve staged at the Dorchester Grill,” said Charlie. “I’ve been nominated for Sussex Young Chef of the Year twice, in 2019 and 2020 and ran the Flint Barns Kitchen at Rathfinny Estate.”

Reflecting on his return to college, Jake, currently serving as a chef at Rathfinny Wine Estate, said, “Coming back to college has been weird, but in a good way! It’s very nice and brings back good memories. I had good laughs here, a good time. It’s great to see the kitchens and how things have slightly changed and maybe how things are the same. It’s exciting.”

Lewis, also employed at Rathfinny Estate, said, “I decided to come back here today because the industry is struggling slightly with new influxes so it’s nice to see those people who are working hard to get into the industry. You can make connections, you can see the skills that are out there and try to help them to improve themselves.”

If you’re interested in working in Catering, click here to find all relevant courses on offer at East Sussex College.