Young chef praises ‘exceptional support’ at WestKing in top industry magazine

A young chef has praised the support he received during his culinary training at Westminster Kingsway College in an article for a top industry magazine.

Guy Sherman, 18, shared his experience at the college after being asked to write a piece for the Future Stars section of this month’s edition of Chef.

He attended a Young Chefs’ Academy course at WestKing when he was 15 and a year later began a Commis Chef apprenticeship with the college at The Dorchester in Park Lane, where he is now taking a Chef de Partie apprenticeship.

While at college he learned traditional French cookery techniques, cooked for and served customers in the college’s training restaurants, and learnt about the history of legendary culinary figure Auguste Escoffier.

Guy applied for a work placement at The Dorchester and worked in The Grill and the main restaurant of the hotel where he began to hone his culinary skills across the kitchen.

In the article for Chef, he wrote: “I cannot put into words the excitement I felt every morning as I returned to work. I worked so hard and new I had to secure a place at the best hotel in London! From there I was offered my dream … my apprenticeship at The Dorchester hotel. This was incredible.”

Guy, who lives in Barnet, has been mentored on his apprenticeship by Executive Chef Mario Perera and his team who have shared their knowledge and skills with him.

His time at WestKing has been valuable too.

Guy continued: “The support from the college has been exceptional, always pushing me to enter new competitions. In the middle of 2020 I entered the International Salon Culinarie where I produced over four dishes … From this prestigious event I managed to walk away with two medals.”

Guy began cooking when he was four, learning the basics from his mum. At the age of nine he was chosen from hundreds of entries to compete on the BBC cookery show Junior Masterchef and a year later he appeared on ITV’s The Munch Box.

In 2017 he won a national competition celebrating 30 years of Waitrose Duchy Organic products, where his winning dish was served to HRH The Prince of Wales.

Guy hopes to travel the world and one day be the Executive Chef of his own restaurant.

Nick Gunyon, Curriculum Manager for Hospitality Apprenticeships, said: “Right from the start, Guy was a good student showing good skills that he developed throughout the course. He always pushed boundaries with presentation, experimenting and perfecting dishes every week. He was a pleasure to teach.”

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