European tour promotes world-leading culinary arts degree

21 June 2012

European tour promotes world-leading culinary arts degree

A gastronomic tour of European conferences and restaurants aimed at both promoting and informing Otago Polytechnic’s unique Bachelor of Culinary Arts degree, gets underway next week.

School of Hospitality Associate Professor Richard Mitchell, Hospitality Programme Manager, Tony Heptinstall and Senior Lecturer in Culinary Arts, Adrian Woodhouse, begin their three-week journey on Monday 25 June.

The first stop is the International Conference on Food Design and Designing for Food at London Metropolitan University on 28 and 29 June. They will present a paper to delegates about the rationale behind Otago Polytechnic’s Bachelor of Culinary Arts, the only design-led culinary arts degree in the world. The popular programme was launched earlier this year and has a cohort of 50 students.

One of its strengths is its departure from the traditional master/apprentice model of teaching cookery. “It’s not the typical paint-by-numbers approach,” says Adrian Woodhouse. “Ours is a project-based degree that encourages creativity and adventurous food design. We give our students the tools they need and, from there, they are given room to research and let their own initiatives take over.”

Associate Professor Richard Mitchell says the degree was established for several compelling reasons. “Secondary schools are now changing in the way they teach their food programmes, focusing more on design elements. We wanted to ensure we incorporated that into our teaching, too,” he explains. “Increasingly, culinary students want to be given the chance to be engaged in a more creative way with food, while our industry is demanding employees who are adaptable critical thinkers.”

“There are now many new career pathways in food that require culinary arts graduates to have a broader range of skills,” Tony Heptinstall adds. “We see opportunities for our graduates in everything from artisan food production to culinary education and food media. With the skills that they gain, the possibilities are endless.”

After the London conference, the trio will rub shoulders with the man often described as the world’s greatest chef, Ferran Adria, as well as River Cottage’s Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, at the prestigious food symposium, MAD 2012, in Copenhagen, Denmark on 1 and 2 July. Adria and Fearnley-Whittingstall are among more than 20 of the world’s leading culinary experts who will gather to share their musings on this year’s theme topic: Appetite.

“A lot of what we teach our students is modelled on the philosophies of these very talented and innovative people, who are the leaders of our industry,” says Associate Professor Mitchell. “This gives us the opportunity to gain inspiration from some of the world’s best, which we can then pass on to our students.”

From Copenhagen, the men travel to Champagne in France to progress some joint research being conducted by the Polytechnic and Reims Management School, examining Central Otago’s wine industry and its rapid, 30-year rise to international success and recognition.

The final destination on the tour is Barcelona in Spain; a city renowned for being home to some of the world’s premier cuisine. A highlight of this stop is the chance to dine at 41 Degrees Experience, the recently-redeveloped restaurant of chef Albert Adria, who is also Ferran Adria’s brother.

Check out some of the amazing culinary creations of our Bachelor of Culinary Arts students: www.facebook.com/The.Lab.Food.Design

International Conference on Food Design and Designing for Food, London Metropolitan University,
United Kingdom: www.fooddesign2012.com

MAD Symposium 2012, Copenhagen, Denmark: www.madfood.co

ENDS

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