A long-awaited visit from the FE Commissioner, Shelagh Legrave, took place on Friday 4 December 2023 across Eastern Education Group. Shelagh visited with four of her colleagues from the Department for Education.
West Suffolk College has gone down an educational lane and ended up working with the Humber Doucy Brewing Company.
The partnership began in July 2023 and will see a brand new beer called Haze be exclusively sold in the fine dining establishment called Edmunds Restaurant.
Edmunds is the AA rosette award winning eatery that is part of the Culinary Arts Academy that teaches students of all ages a range of skills relating to catering and hospitality.
In addition to the beer, the link up with Humber Doucy – that is run by father and son team John and Alan Ridealgh - is also going to offer a series of specialist short courses that will give learners new opportunities and skills.
And the company who are based in Bacton near Stowmarket are part of a collaboration that will offer what is thought to be the first ever brewing apprenticeship in the country.
The first learners to take this apprenticeship will be based at the College.
Matt Goulding is the Head of the Culinary Arts Academy at the College. Matt said: “We were introduced to the company via our apprenticeship team. We were invited to come and have a look around the brewery and discuss the possibilities of how we could work together.
“We talked about producing a beer and we have worked together on creating a new beer product called Haze. We hope it appeals to a wide audience and it can be purchased exclusively at the restaurant. We will look at adding to the line in the future. This is just the beginning.
“Name wise we wanted something that was approachable and the beer is unfiltered therefore we thought Haze was perfect. We have created the brand with our marketing department, Humber Doucy have created the taste and our students got to see the process through from start to finish. It’s a real collaboration and I think the product will appeal to a wide audience.”
Claire Waterson is the Operations Manager at the Culinary Arts Academy. Claire said: “Our industry used to be known as ‘Secret Suffolk’ but now the word is out in relation to how great this county is in terms of food and drink. We believe this product will add to that.
“Some people may ask why students are working with beer products and my response is that this is all about supporting our local economy, working with industry partners, giving our students experiences of all sides of our industry, building connections and showcasing the produce of our region.”
In terms of this partnership, John Ridealgh from Humber Doucy said: “We believe very strongly in the community and that is why we wanted to work with the college.”
The beer can be purchased for £3.75 at Edmunds Restaurant. A festive gift box can also be purchased for £9.99. The restaurant is based on Out Risbygate Street in Bury St Edmunds.
For menu and opening times you can visit: edmunds.wsc.ac.uk