Luke Phillips, Specialised Chefs' Apprenticeship

Student plating up food

Luke Phillips, former Specialised Chef apprentice

The Specialised Chef programme has really got me where I want to be!

From a young age becoming a chef has always been my ambition. I was immediately interested in the Specialised Chef programme when I saw it and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. It has really got me where I want to be. I couldn’t have done it without it!

I work for the Chewton Glen hotel where I initially studied as an apprentice and recently I managed to reach the semi-finals of ‘MasterChef: The Professionals’. Having my work presented on television was an amazing experience and it was great to be able to meet world famous chefs such as Michael Caines.

All of this success can be traced back to my time with the College. The classical training we received was the most vital aspect of my training. I was taught all the basics and that has allowed me to develop further skills as my career has progressed. Without the basics there is no point even trying!

In every lesson as a Specialised Chef we were taught the groundwork of French cooking. It was a really good idea because it meant that when I went into a main kitchen I knew exactly what I was going to do, and how and why it was going to be done, before I even set foot in the door.

In my current role I really enjoy being able to help the next generation of Specialised Chefs. We currently have four Specialised Chefs working at Chewton Glen and it is awesome to be able to help their development through setting them new goals to work on.