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City College Chef Triumphs in BBC Reality Show

26 September 2007

James Keyede, a local chef who trained at City College Brighton and Hove, has won out in a BBC2 reality show, 'Grandad's Back in Business', in which an older candidate is pitted against a fresh faced younger candidate, looking for that all-important first break. The government is keen that we keep working in later life and the programme is aimed at putting recent changes to the law on ageism under the spotlight.

In the programme, 20-year-old James and 52-year-old Malcolm Godfrey went head to head for a full time job in London's prestigious two star Michelin restaurant Pied à Terre. James was chosen for the programme as a typical industry recruit with the raw talent and energy that head chefs look for. Malcolm, on the other hand, is an ex -Navy cook who was in charge of the officer's dining room at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich. For one month, acclaimed chef patron Shane Osborne put James and Malcolm through their paces in an attempt to bring their skills up to the standard of Pied à Terre, where anything less than perfection is a failure. It's a gruelling working environment in which a team of chefs work 16 hours a day making everything from the bread to the petit-fours for a clientele that expect nothing less than the very best in fine dining.

James Keyede

James Keyede

Shane Osborne says:

'James is a really likeable young man with oodles of talent and abundant energy which gave him the edge in the end. I think it was a real eye-opening experience for him to see the standards that we have to maintain at Pied à Terre and now I'm looking forward to nurturing that raw talent and helping him become a truly great chef.'

James' former tutor Leroy Clarke says:

'It was clear from the beginning that James had potential but he also was a grafter and had a strong competitive streak which is a real asset if you aim to succeed as a chef. When I saw the programme it made me feel really proud that the College had got James started in his career.'

James says:

'To have the opportunity to be involved in the programme meant a great deal to me and it's given me real focus and direction. Looking back at my time at City College, I realise that it gave me the core skills that I needed and it showed me all about how a kitchen should be professionally run. I got on really well with my tutors and knowing that they genuinely cared about how I progressed gave me a lot of motivation.'

James' success in the programme is another example of City College's reputation for excellence in Catering being highlighted nationally. In recent years, former students have also won high-profile competitions such as the Roux Scholarship and Young Chef of the Year.

For media enquiries, please call Brian Bell, Marketing Communications Officer, on 01273 667788 Ext. 488 or email bb1@ccb.ac.uk

About City College Brighton and Hove: Founded over 100 years ago, City College Brighton and Hove has become an international centre of excellence. Every year over 2,000 full-time and 10,000 part time students as well as many international and European students choose City College as their education provider. The College provides training to over 2,000 businesses and has a 'City Business Skills' department which focuses on employers' needs. Offering over 700 courses from basic level to pre-University level, City College is working with its partners to develop the workforce of the future.