We caught up with Candice since leaving the college, to see how her career had progressed since her studies. She shared with us how her course prepared her for her future, tips for the industry and stand out moments during her time at the college.
“My first love for patisserie was when I was younger learning with my grandma, then during school I loved it. Then I found out they had a course here at Nottingham College and I decided I need to go for it.”
How were your 2 years at Nottingham College?
“My first year was incredible, my teachers helped me along the way with my allergies and made me feel like anything is possible, and you can become a chef with any disability, allergies, any impediment you have.”
“My second year was when I really gained confidence, it really pushed me to love pastry.”
After her second year, Candice worked in a couple cafes, taking all the knowledge she learnt with her tutors.
“If anyone asked me where did I learn everything, I always say Nottingham College is where I learnt everything about cooking.”
What's one thing you think helped the most on your course?
“One memory that stuck out the most would be working in the real-life kitchen environment. We had MasterChef Professionals come in, working alongside them felt amazing to me. These guys were on TV and worked in such fancy restaurants.”
“That really showed me this is what I want to do as a career.”
How did you get your role as Head Pastry Chef?
“I started out from the very bottom as a commis chef. I worked my way up from Commis Chef de Partie (CPD), to senior CPD, to now Head of Pastry and now also Pastry ambassador for The Ivy.”
“I couldn't have done any of this without all of the knowledge I learnt here in Nottingham College.”
What piece of advice would you give to someone doing this course?
“Be a sponge. Soak up as much knowledge as you can from these tutors, they will teach you so much you will be able to carry out into the real world.”
“Put your head down, focus, and I promise you you'll go into the industry and thrive as much as I am.”
Want to hear more from Candice? Watch her video below!
