MP Tobias Ellwood praised Bournemouth and Poole College on a visit last week after it won two prestigious awards for the excellence of its hospitality courses.

The MP for Bournemouth East said the World Association of Chefs Societies award was an “incredible” international endorsement of the college’s culinary course, and he was impressed with the enthusiasm of the students he met on his tour.

Joined by the college’s head of tourism, Adrian Martin, Mr Ellwood visited the kitchens at the Lansdowne Campus and spoke to students baking bread, jointing meat and cooking up lunch in their award-winning Escoffier restaurant.

“It is a delight to see the energy and enthusiasm of all the students, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds,” he said.

“Many I spoke to had not planned to be working in catering, but now they have great focus and direction, exactly the kind of thing the Government wants to encourage.

“We are determined to encourage a new generation, who may not want to go down the academic path, to pursue a trade, which will lead on to a job or a university qualification.”

He said the skills and enthusiasm imparted to students at the college was a great benefit to Bournemouth as many of its leavers go straight into the local tourism industry.

Mr Martin said the judges for the award had visited the college to watch it students prepare food, sample the results, and learn about their success in competitions.

Strong factors in the college’s favour were their prestigious work placements, including at Buckingham Palace and Claridge’s, and their popular Escoffier restaurant and Brasserie Café, open to the public.

“There is a shortage of chefs across the UK and in Bournemouth there is a great demand for catering and hospitality staff as we have some 300 hotels on our doorstep,” said Mr Martin.

“Usually our students leave with one or two places to choose from.”

The college also won a Bournemouth Tourism Award before Christmas for its contribution to international education and business links, thanks to its help setting up a new academy in Sri Lanka offering hospitality training, modelled on that at the college.