Hospitality and Catering students take to the kitchens at the BRIT Awards
Hospitality and Catering students from The Manchester College recently gained valuable industry experience after working behind the scenes at the BRIT Awards at Manchester’s Co‑op Live venue.
Students Harry Phythion‑Ford, Lucy Clarke and Ashley Gardner supported the catering operation at the awards ceremony after previously completing work experience placements at the venue. Following their placements, the students were invited back to take part in training and preparation ahead of the event, including supporting live shows and pre‑event catering.
On the night of the BRIT Awards, the students worked as part of a professional catering team serving thousands of guests, helping to prepare and plate a three-course meal in a high-pressure environment. The opportunity allowed them to put the skills learned on their study programmes into practice while gaining first‑hand experience of working at a major live event.
The experience reflects The Manchester College’s commitment to providing students with real world, industry focused opportunities that support progression into employment across the hospitality and events sectors.
Jill Riley, Assistant Principle for Business, Digital and Service Industries said:
“It’s fantastic to see our Hospitality and Catering students involved in an event as high‑profile as the BRIT Awards. Opportunities like these really help build confidence and prepare students for their future careers. We’re very proud of how they represented themselves and the College.”
Explore Hospitality and Catering courses at The Manchester College and apply today.
Transcript:
The opportunity to work at the BRIT Awards came about through my work experience at Co-op Live. I completed a five-week work placement with them, and then they gave me the opportunity to work at the BRITs.
We did two training days at Co-op Live. The week before the BRIT Awards there was a RAYE concert, so I worked on that as well. Earlier in the week of the BRITs, I also did a prep day.
On the night, we were separated into satellite kitchens near the entrance where all the celebrities came through. There was a three-course meal, and I helped with the main course.
I was on purée, so I had to place a small teardrop of purée on the plate as it moved along the line. I then placed the venison on the plate, seasoned it, and sliced it up for service.
It was a lot of work and very fast-paced. Before service started, I was quite nervous, especially knowing we had around 3,000 people to serve. Obviously, it’s a big event.
Afterwards, I felt really grateful that I experienced it. The opportunity helped improve my confidence. I didn’t know what service would be like beforehand, but this has given me much more knowledge of what it’s like working in the industry.
The head chef was quite impressed with me. He said I had finesse and trusted me to check the plates, which gave me a big confidence boost.
It really opened my eyes to the real world and what it’s like working in a fast-paced environment.
The thing I like most about studying at The Manchester College is having new chefs come in to teach us new techniques and skills, which helps prepare us for the future.
I enjoy the environment, my classmates, and my tutor as well. They’re really good people, which makes it more enjoyable. The college is also really good at giving us lots of different opportunities and getting us out into the industry to see how it works.
I just want to thank The Manchester College for this opportunity. Working at the BRIT Awards was such a great eye-opener and has really encouraged me to move forward with my course.