As a chef and chef student, City of Glasgow College is pivotal in a lot of the experiences, connections, and skills I have developed and am continuing to develop in my everyday life and professional progression.
Being a wheelchair-bound chef possesses its own challenges and stigmas. The progression of my culinary journey has been crucial in challenging the perspectives of many chefs and business owners in what people can do from a different point of view, such as using different methods and skill sets to achieve the same high quality, creative, and delicious results.
My fondest memory I have of my time at college is during one of my many times at Chef Gary MacLeans VIP dinner events held within Scholars restaurant. Taking part in those events gave me so much insight into what goes into organising events for the likes of corporate, celebrity, or any other kind of VIP guests that may be seated within your establishment. As well as that, the friendships and connections that can be made when added into a brigade such as this have every potential to hold strong outside of college. These friendships began from the first event held and very often developed all the way through to the final one held around the time of graduation.
During both of my college courses (Level 6 fast track, followed by Level 7), it is safe to say there were many chefs and people who inspired me. One of which is former City of Glasgow alumni Graham Cheevers, who now owns the highly renowned Unalome restaurant. To see a chef with such skill come from the same starting position as myself and many others and reach culinary heights, as proven by the numerous awards earned by Unalome, is utterly incredible, inspiring, and can serve as motivation for anyone dedicated enough to push themselves that bit further to reach their true potential.
When regarding our future and the future of the hospitality industry, it is important to keep a keen eye on sustainability and minimal waste output when preparing any kind of food for any kind of establishment. I personally also find it incredibly important that the culinary world becomes more open to disability and neurodiverse inclusion. I know that it can be however, there is a struggle to make this known when the typical view of kitchens is tight-spaced, bustling, and hectic working conditions. Chefs such as Christine Ha and Ronnie Murray are prime examples of disability inclusion within our industry however, more needs to be done to allow chefs and students that ability to show their true potential in the same way.
It is due to this reason that one core goal I have for myself is to make the hospitality industry a more welcoming and accessible profession for those who may not fit the standard chef stereotype. My method of doing this is two-pronged; the first is to be able to teach neurodiverse and physically disabled people the basics of cooking, giving them the confidence and skills they need to understand how food is made and what goes into everyday cooking. The second, long-term goal is to open an establishment of my own, where accessibility throughout the kitchen is key and every area of the kitchen, staff areas, and working surroundings are fully manageable and nothing will be out of reach for any of the staff employed there. Adapting to thrive is a vital lesson, and this path is what allows our industry to grow ever farther into the future.