Bolton: Sharples School gets visit from The Alchemist

The Alchemist, which has 21 venues up and down the UK specialising in creative cocktails and food, were invited to the school to provide the young people an insight into the workings and career prospects of the industry.

Pupils from the Food Technology department were told about roles in hospitality, what a working day looks like, and were showed videos of the culinary competitions they run to reward staff.

The idea of the day was to introduce the pupils to the idea of entering the hospitality industry by “feeding their love for food”.

Students learning from Seamus and his team (Image: Sharples School)

Headteacher Ann Webster said: “It was a fantastic experience for our students and the team from The Alchemist were inspirational in showing them what is possible with a career in food and hospitality.”

Established in 2010, The Alchemist is known for theatrical serving, unusual concoctions, and unconventional dishes, says culinary director Seamus O’Donnell.

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He added: “The hospitality industry is a fun environment with flexible working hours and gives you the perfect opportunity to not only have a career but a passport to travel the world to gain valuable life experience.

“Knowledge is king, and education is the best way to facilitate change.”

The students had a cooking demonstration (Image: Sharples School)

One of the topics of the day was the company’s apprenticeship scheme, which the school is keen for its pupils to apply for.

Seamus added: “After some challenging years in hospitality, The Alchemist has continued to build on their kitchen department’s development with apprenticeship programme ‘The Alchemist Chef’, team building days, and the introduction of our culinary competition to inspire the new generation of chefs.”

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Many of the young people present came away from the days with newfound career aspirations.

One said that the say had made them want to work at the alchemist in the future, while another said the experience will “heavily influence my future choices and career choices”.

Pupils took an interest in the cooking process (Image: Sharples School)

“I had been thinking about being a chef, this inspired me to pursue hospitality and catering,” said another.

The day has been deemed such a success that the school plans to do it again next year.

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