The chance to cook for parents, an up close and personal experience with the Red Arrows and the culmination of ten weeks of chopping, prepping and cooking.
This was what marked the close of the latest Junior Chef Academy programme.
Run by The Compass Group, a food and catering company that operates across the UK and beyond, it was aimed at Lincolnshire school pupils in Year 10 and 11 to give them a chance to learn from some of the group’s most talented chefs.
Lincoln College provided the professional training kitchens within its own finishing school and restaurant Sessions for the ten-week course.
Now the group of 12 learners have prepared and served a three-course banquet to parents, tutors and guests at a fantastic graduation ceremony at RAF Waddington. As well as being able to prepare the feast in the active base’s expansive kitchens, the learners and their parents also had a guided tour of the RAF Red Arrows hangar.
Group Executive Chef at The Compass Group, Simon Coulter, said: “We’ve been blown away again by the Junior Chefs from the Lincolnshire feeder schools and we’ve been able to really let them loose in the kitchen. Last year we prepared a lot of the food in advance for the learners to finish, but this year every meal has been created from scratch which just shows how well they have done.
“This process is all about not only spotting the super chefs of the future, but also providing cooking skills to young people. Our cohort this time arrived with limited skills, but can now prepare a wide range of dishes, whether that’s desserts, vegetarian dishes, complex meat dishes or fish. They’ve also developed fine knife skills, so they will be able to flex their creativity at home and in the future.
“We’re also really grateful to Lincoln College, who have provided us with some great facilities and of course, to the RAF for hosting us at one of the biggest bases in the region.”
The Priory Witham Academy pupil, Mia Sewell, said: “I think it’s been a really great experience, we’ve learned a lot of new skills and I’d love to apply for the catering course at Lincoln College. I would recommend this course to anyone, you get to learn a lot and make new friends.”
Assistant Principal for HEART, Health and Care at Lincoln College, Steve Horsfield, said: “Getting to sample the creative dishes tonight has been incredible, this is our second cohort of the Junior Chef Academy and we’re absolutely floored at the quality and flair these young chefs have displayed.
“We hope that some of the budding cooks consider a place on our catering courses at the College after this amazing taster, but as Simon says, to be able to provide young people with valuable life skills is really important and we look forward to welcoming more groups in on the programme.”
To find out more about the Compass Group, visit https://www.compass-group.co.uk/
Want to learn more about Lincoln College’s catering and food courses? Then visit https://www.lincolncollege.ac.uk/school-leavers/course-subjects/catering
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Date Posted
27 March 2026
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Last Edited
27 March 2026
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