Award-winning former student Matthew returns to College as teacher-training Hospitality Coach
Former student Matthew Bird is returning to York College & University Centre as a Hospitality Coach, having just become an award-winning restaurant owner.
The Willowgate Bistro in Pickering, which Matthew has owned and run with his wife Gemma for the past 11 years, was recently crowned North Yorkshire Restaurant of the Year at the Englands Business Awards.
It also boasts a five-star TripAdvisor rating based on more than one thousand customer reviews and our Hospitality students will now benefit from all of Matthew’s experience, knowledge and pre-eminence in the industry as he oversees lessons four days a week while completing his teacher-training studies on Campus this academic year.
Matthew, 37, enrolled on our In-Service Cert Ed course last year, which incorporated 50 hours of teaching time and additional shadowing of College tutors.
He will now combine teaching and studying commitments with the running of his restaurant from Thursday to Saturday, as he looks to transition into an education career.
On that prospect, Matthew said: “I’m really looking forward to being able to pass on my real-life experience to students in an industry-standard working environment, as well as the coffee mornings, a la carte menus and evening events we will be doing together in The Cookery. I’ve always had an itch to teach.
“We have had apprentices in the kitchen and front-of-house before at our restaurant and doing things together with them and bouncing off ideas led to a spark within myself. I want to see the students here thrive and become the next generation.”
As a local restaurant owner and former student, Matthew is well-positioned to comment on York College’s reputation for providing a conveyor belt of talent that benefits the whole region.
“The College’s hospitality department is hugely well-regarded locally in the industry,” he pointed out. “From having worked here last year, I was able to see how closely the college works alongside businesses.
“We have regular meetings to determine what the industry wants from College, so the collaboration between both is fantastic and I would have no problem about hiring somebody from here because you know the standards they will have already. The kitchen here is also 100 per cent industry standard and that’s so important for the students that haven’t got a part-time job, because they’ll know what to expect when they do go into the profession.
“When I finished College, one of the teachers asked me how I felt about becoming a chef and that always stuck with me, because I didn’t know everything back then, but I knew all the basics well and I believe College sets the foundations for everything else that follows.”
What followed for Matthew was a two-year stint at Middlethorpe Hall after he had gone on placement there while still a College student.
He then moved on to working in pubs, incorporating Head Chef and Live-In Manager roles, before taking the plunge and “going it alone” by opening Willowgate Bistro just a month after his son was born, having sold his old car and motorbike for parts and “haggled a good lease” on the premises that used to house the market town’s Concorde Café.
The award is Matthew and Gemma’s reward for honing a reputation as one of the finest restaurants in the county and that recognition might even grow further afield when Willowgate Bistro contests the national final in November.
On the process that saw the restaurant come out on top in North Yorkshire, Matthew explained: “Somebody nominated us and, then, it went through to a voting system. The judging panel also look through your TripAdvisor and Google reviews and somebody came into the restaurant as a kind of Mystery Shopper.”
That importance of customer care and service was something Matthew nurtured during his time at College from 2003 to 2006 when current Front of House Tutor Suzanne Barwick was one of his teachers.
“I was at College just before the move to the new building when it was getting designed and built, so we had event nights for York councillors when we were showcasing the plans,” Matthew recalled.
“This building is so much more modern, bright, open and sustainable and is a big upgrade from what it was, even though the old building had always served its purpose.”
As a York College student Matthew studied his NVQ Level 1, 2 and 3 qualifications in Hospitality and Catering, as well as a National Diploma in Patisserie.
“We also did fun courses like Speak Italian, Cook Italian and went off to Italy for a week,” he enthused. “We worked in some amazing environments, because we also went to Paris, which was another brilliant experience.”
Having returned to his old college for teacher training, Matthew is just as impressed with the quality of tuition and guidance he is now receiving.
“The level of support in the college is fantastic and, being in the classroom with other trainee teachers, just makes you appreciate you’re not the only person who might be feeling nervous teaching in front of a whole class for the first time,” he declared. “The How2 classes are a fantastic learning tool, too.
“Even things like establishing entry routines for classes help change everything and sets a precedent for what outcomes you want from your lessons.”
To learn more about our Hospitality courses, click here
For further details on our teacher-training provision, visit here
You can book a table at Willowgate Bistro here
Our next Open Event is on Tuesday 8th October when tutors will be on hand to discuss our Hospitality and Teacher Training courses. You can reserve a place here
