Hospitality Management graduate shares story of Cook Serve competition and time spent working with Students' Union during time in SETU
Philip Erskine, from Ballinaboola, Co Wexford is a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Hospitality Management.
How did you find the course over the few years?
I really loved it, I did a level 6 Hospitality Studies first and then I went on to do the level 8 in Hospitality Management so I really got the practical experience then when I went into the level 8 I matched it all with the theory.
Did you have a placement as a part of this course?
Yeah I had two placements so I had one three month placement which I did in Ashford Castle in Co Mayo and I had a six month placement which I did in the Granville Hotel here in Waterford and both placements really helped me with my studies.
What made you choose Waterford?
I know Waterford quite well and I’ve heard a lot about the college and the extra-curricular activities and some of the people that I worked with told me about how helpful the lecturers were and how much they enjoyed the course.
Did you do any extra-curricular activities while you were in Waterford?
The main thing I got involved in was the students' union and they really helped me throughout my college experience so if I ever needed to chat they were there and I got involved in plenty of things they were doing so there was always something there for me to get involved in.
Was there any stand out experiences from your time in Waterford?
A lot of my stand out experiences would be with the student union I’ve done a lot with them including going to protests in Dublin. Probably my biggest experience would be when a team of us went to Galway and entered the International Cook Serve competition and came first in it, this was an especially proud moment for us as it was the first competition of its kind in Ireland.
[The GMIT International Cook Serve Competition showcased the highest standards in international hospitality services: explored, integrated ideas and concepts: communicated through food and courteous service. SETU also won Best Main course, best dessert and best Kitchen Overall Award.]
Interviewed by Ian Bradley at Conferring 2018