Buxton and Leek College gets gold award for new restaurant Harpurs Bistro

The award, from the People 1st International, commends the venue as being perfect for training up the next generation of chefs.

Andy Doyle from People First said: “The building and facilities at Buxton and Leek College provide an inspiring location for the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals to develop their knowledge and skills.

“Supported by the strong links with local industry, the lecture team clearly recognise the importance of exposing their students to a variety of experiences and opportunities to help them understand the diverse careers possible within the hospitality industry.

“We are sure that being recognised by People 1st International’s industry panel will help them to increase these links and widen the opportunities further.

“The re-opening of the training restaurant, Harpurs Bistro, which is a true reflection of industry in look, feel and approach, provides a real commercial experience for students to hone their skills, and we are looking forward to working with the team to help them to continue to develop and grow their offer over the coming years.”

The student-led commercial restaurant was opened in January 2024 as a training centre for apprentices and students on full-time study programmes.

Both the look and the feel of the restaurant reflect the now shut but hugely successful Harpur Hill education facility by which the new bistro’s name was inspired.

The award will sit alongside the AA Highly Commended College Rosette that Buxton and Leek College received recently.

As well as the highly sought-after accolade, which only 10 per cent of the country’s restaurants manage to achieve, Harpurs has also been awarded its 5 STAR Food Safety rating, making it a perfect setting to train to the highest standards of hospitality.

Oliver Curl team leading apprentice recently represented BLC at World Skills at Hull College, where he competed against students from around the globe on various dishes added: “Harpurs has given me an opportunity to showcase my industry skills to both the public, staff, and my peers in a stunning facility within the college.”

To find out more about Harpurs and book a table at https://www.blc.ac.uk/bistro/