Exeter College @34 Restaurant Receives Highest Possible Accolade with an AA Highly Commended College Rosette

Exeter College’s fine dining @thirty-four restaurant has achieved the highest accolade for a college restaurant having recently been awarded a Highly Commended AA College Rosette.

The AA College Rosette Scheme, developed by People 1st International and AA Hotel Services, recognises college restaurants for the quality of the food they produce and the level of service they deliver. The scheme has been designed to reflect current industry trends in the realistic working environment that college restaurants provide.

John Laramy CBE, Principal and CEO at Exeter College said;

“Our vision as a College is to be exceptional and this is truly an exceptional achievement. This recognises the excellence that I see from the whole team in @thirty-four and while it would be a great achievement for any restaurant, for a College restaurant to reach this standard is sector leading.

“I would like to congratulate the staff and students on this stunning achievement. They have created a vibrant, passionate, and relaxed dining experience which is now highly regarded in Exeter and beyond.”

The staff and students behind the restaurant were subject to a full restaurant inspection, held to the same standards as other local restaurants and hotels. They were tested on their menu and wine list knowledge as well as the quality of the food and service.

Level 3 Supervisory Hospitality student, Victoria Ames would like to be a Maitre’d when she leaves College. Speaking about the inspection, she said;

“I supervised the service on that day, so I showed them to the table and talked a little about the restaurant before I brought over their waitress for the evening. I do rounds to ask people how their food is, and I stopped at their table once or twice. It’s just nice being able to talk to people like that about the things we do here and nice to be recognised for it too.”

Speaking about what she will take away from the experience, Victoria said;

“It’s the little things that count, giving that extra attention to detail and making sure they get the best experience dining here.

“At Level 1 I was very shy, now I am Level 3, and I can’t stop talking. College has really bought out the good side in me. That’s something I think people would benefit from when they do this sort of course. It’s not just about cooking or serving people, it’s about building your own skills and it is wonderful. It’s the best experience I’ve had in my life so far, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m very happy here.”

Dylan Fewings is studying for an NVQ Level 3 in Professional Cookery, and was in the kitchen on the day of the visit, he said;

“I was on the starter section, responsible for the cauliflower soup and the chicken terrine. The experience was quite stressful due to the variety of dishes on the menu and things like chicken terrine are quite complex.

“My lecturer and I tasted the dish and decided it was quite rich and needed something acidic to cut through. It’s helping train my palette as a chef and learn about the balance between dishes.

“After College, I am moving to London. It’s where I want to be to learn my next steps as it’s such an exciting place to be when you are a chef. The end goal is to own a restaurant or to be as high as possible in an amazing kitchen where I am cooking good food and have happy customers.”

The final report mentions several “WOW” moments including;

“Quality of the food, some strong dishes, showcasing sound technique and clear flavour definition.”

“A very enjoyable dining experience, underpinned by pride and purpose.”

“A very supportive learning environment.”

And finally;

“Great value and good to see a busy restaurant.”

Tracey Bennett, Head of Faculty for Hospitality, Hair, and Beauty said;

“I am immensely proud of all the students and staff that have contributed to this accolade. They work incredibly hard and put in countless extra hours to ensure @thirty-four is a success. Their passion for their craft shines through in what they cook and how they serve our customers, and this is reflected in our excellent reviews.

“Our students are very ambitious, so they deserve nothing less than Highly Commended as this truly demonstrates their talent and how exceptional they aspire to be.”

To book a table in the restaurant, please call us on 01392 400334 or email thirty-four@exe-coll.ac.uk.

Exeter College offers a wide range of outstanding hospitality and catering programmes. There is still time to apply for entry this September 2023.

@thirty-four gets the royal treatment

Exeter College alumni and former butler to The Royal Family, Matthew Balman, visited students last week at our @thirty-four training kitchen and restaurant to share his experiences in industry.

Matthew said, “It’s strange being back at college; there’s a lot of bits I recognise and a lot that I definitely don’t. It’s super nice being back in Devon and at Exeter College!”

From 2002 to 2005, Matthew completed his Level 1, 2 and 3 NVQ in Kitchen and Service at Exeter College. Continuing his studies, he achieved a diploma, making him a qualified pastry chef and pâtissier. While at college and dreaming of becoming a chef, Matthew completed work experience at a Michelin star restaurant in Hampshire. Once qualified, he worked there as a full-time commis-chef.

“To have someone with the skills, experience and knowledge that Matthew has to come in and work with students is invaluable,”
Stafford Pitts, Programme Lead, Hospitality and @thirty-four

Although Matthew remains passionate about cooking, he realised that it was guest interaction and seeing the job through that he thrived the most off. In a slight career shift, he switched to working in the service industry and soon found himself rising through the ranks to royal service.

Matthew spent the next four years at Gidleigh Park in Dartmoor, successfully working his way up to senior head waiter, before moving onto the Nare Hotel in Cornwall. Here he learnt invaluable skills in a quaint, yet busy environment. By the time he was 25, Matthew was managing a restaurant in the Cotswolds.

Throughout this time, Matthew competed in a range of competitions, from ‘Young Chef, to Young Waiter’, to ‘The Annual Awards of Excellence’.

Matthew successfully got through to the semi-finals of ‘The Gold Service Scholarship‘, where he met an employee of The Royal Household. Through this meeting, Matthew attained an interview and succeeded in becoming a footman at Buckingham Palace. He moved to London to serve The Royal Family, where he stayed for four years.

Most recently, Matthew has been working as a butler and chef for a family in Holland Park, London.

Considering his time at Exeter College, he explained how the skills he learnt here have helped him progress in this career: “The best piece of advice I ever got was ‘be busy when you’re quiet so that you can be quiet when you’re busy.’ You can never be too prepared; I can’t begin to explain how many times learning this has helped me.”

Visiting Exeter College

While visiting Exeter College’s @thirty-four last week, Matthew worked alongside students to create a Buckingham Palace butler experience on a budget, giving both students and diners a distinct, unique experience that was fit for royalty.

“When I was in college, I went into a kitchen thinking that is what I wanted to do; I didn’t realise front-of-house was an option – so that’s what I’m here to show students,” Matthew explained.

The night was a success, with students learning the intricacies of a royal service, how to lay the table, fold napkins and serve guests to royal standards.

Stafford Pitts, Programme Lead of Hospitality and @thirty-four, was delighted to have Matthew come and show students his skills and inspire them to new standards of hospitality and service.

Stafford said, “To have someone with the skills, experience and knowledge that Matthew has to come in and work with students is invaluable.”

“The chefs usually take the forefront of this industry, so to have a night where the front-of-house were the stars was brilliant. With Matthew also being an ex-student to the college, he has a great understanding of how they were feeling and how to reassure them. He also realises the importance of promoting front-of-house and the many paths it offers as a potential career option.”

You can find out more about our front-of-house and hospitality courses at our next Open Event on Wednesday 20^th November. Pre-register here.

If you are an alumni of the college and would like to work with current students, then please get in touch here.