Two Spanish lecturers visited South West College, Omagh campus, on a teaching placement funded through the Erasmus+ programme. Chef, Javier Andreu and a sommelier, Paco Ortiz, a trained wine professional, are tutors from Hotel Escuela, Madrid, which is a partner institute of South West College.
Hotel Escuela is a hotel school located in the idyllic setting of Monte de El Pardo, surrounded by nature and situated only ten minutes from the financial district of Madrid. The school provides a real teaching and learning environment for students as, along with their tutors, they run and manage an 80 bedroom hotel as well as a restaurant.
The master classes Javier and Paco taught were Spanish oriented as the pair shared their expertise in Spanish cuisine, cocktail making and wine appreciation. South West College students and tutors, who also run restaurants open to the public across three campuses, thoroughly enjoyed their new experiences in Spanish cuisine helping to broaden their cultural horizons, which is crucial in the global industry of tourism and hospitality.
Chef Javier commented that, "they were very happy and proud to be part of South West College and it was a great experience to share time and knowledge with both staff and students".
Erasmus+ funding provides opportunities for staff and student placements throughout Europe providing opportunities for significant personal, professional and academic development. Presently, South West College partners with other European institutions to offer similar experiences in Denmark, France, Iceland, the Netherlands Antilles, Spain and Sweden.