from the express and echo

Residents of Exeter are set to look – and eat – better than ever before thanks to a newly opened training centre for hairdressing, beauty and cookery students in the city.

Exeter College students are now taught in the first purpose-built centre of its kind in the South West. The new building was opened yesterday by city-based celebrity chef Michael Caines and television hair stylist Paul Merritt.

The £4.3m Laurence Building is believed to be the only commercial training premises in the UK to house courses in hairdressing, complementary therapies, hospitality and catering under one roof. It has a restaurant, spa and salons.

Students moved into the building last month and more and more members of the public are flocking there to have treatments or to eat. The youngsters are assessed by the quality of their work with the public.

As part of the launch, Mr Caines, director of ABode Hotels and executive chef at Gidleigh Park and a former Exeter College student, led a cookery demonstration for hospitality students while Mr Merritt, of Channel 4’s The Salon fame, held a fashion workshop with hairdressing students. There was also the chance to try chocolate body wraps led by Val Cooke, chair of the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology.

Previously catering students trained at the Hele Road site in kitchens built at least 25 years ago while hairdressing and beauty students were based at the old Bishop Blackall building in Pennsylvania Road.

The new building was needed because of the growing numbers of students on the courses. Head of department Tricia Pugsley said: “We are all delighted with our state-of-the-art facilities which provide excellent training opportunities in a real work environment for all our learners.

“From September, in addition to our current, broad range of courses in hospitality, hair and beauty, we will offer a new, intensive, part-time Level 3 hairdressing programme, a Level 3 spa therapy course, a diploma in stone therapy and a new award in barista coffee skills.”

The building, a Wella centre of excellence, is named after John Laurence who was chairman of Exeter College’s board of governors for many years and championed its hair and beauty department. NVQ professional catering student Ben Hunt, 18, said the building had made a big difference to his studies.

“The old building was a bit like being in the dark ages but now we’ve got modern kitchens with modern equipment,” he said.

Mature hairdressing student Debra Broom decided to train after working as a salon receptionist. Her son Dan is also training to be a hairdresser. “The new building is far more modern and ideal for clients – I think it just makes them feel better coming in here,” she said.

Rachael Heal, 17, a hairdressing apprentice training while working in the Cutting Edge salon in Dawlish, said: “We get more clients now because they like the space.” Chantelle Down, 18, an NVQ beauty student, said: “We’ve got much better facilities now. We also felt a bit excluded from everything being at Bishop Blackall but now we are at the heart of the student community.”

Mr Caines joked the old building had not changed from when he was a student. Mr Merritt talked about his experiences on TV and gave the students tips on how to get clients.