A former Commis Chef Apprentice from Milton Keynes College returned to pass on her pasta-making skills to the latest cohort of learners.
Lara Parsons studied at the College as part of her apprenticeship with Locanda Gabriella, a family-run, authentic Italian restaurant in Olney. Since completing her apprenticeship, Lara has not only stayed on at the restaurant but been promoted to Joint Head Chef.
During the masterclass at the College’s Bletchley campus, Lara – along with owner of Locanda Gabriella, Gabriella Cocchiarella – talked a group of five apprentices through the fundamentals of making fresh pasta and accompanying sauces, and then helped them make their own versions of the dishes they’d been shown.
All of the learners are in the first year of their apprenticeships, having only started in September. One of them, Ryan, is the now himself an apprentice at Locanda Gabriella, so he was able to lend a hand to some of his classmates who were less familiar with pasta making.
“Lara had a tough beginning to her apprenticeship," said Richie Carter, Workplace Trainer at Milton Keynes College, "With some underlying learning difficulties and a lack of confidence, she has overcome these challenges and thrived.
“She delivered the masterclass so confidently and was a natural at teaching our current apprentices. I’m so proud of how far she’s come and I’m also very proud of how hard our current apprentices worked and the quality of food they produced. At the end of the session, we even talked about how our apprentices could incorporate what they’ve learned into the menus at their workplaces.”
After delivering the masterclass, Lara said, “When I started my apprenticeship, I didn’t have much confidence in my abilities, but Richie helped me to learn and develop so that I felt ready for the next step in my career. I love that I’m now a full-time chef, and it was great to come back to college and share my knowledge with the current apprentices.”
Gabriella Cocchiarella, added: “Lara was our first apprentice. She was a delight to have in the kitchen from the start, and seeing the progress she’s made has been wonderful."
To find out more about apprenticeships at MK College, visit Apply for an Apprenticeship - MK College
