THE BALVENIE LAUNCHES 3 SCHOLARSHIPS WITH TOP UK CATERING COLLEGE

Handcrafted single malt Scotch The Balvenie has created three fully paid, month-long scholarships for aspiring chefs and hospitality leaders in association with renowned catering college Westminster Kingsway in London.

The scholarship scheme will see three simultaneous month-long placements at The Balvenie Distillery for third-year students at the college. This is the only scholarship to be offered by a brand to college students and placements will go across three disciplines: chef, pastry chef, and front of house.

Dedicated to preserving the craft of whisky making, the distillery is the only one that still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings, and keeps both coppersmiths and coopers on site. This is said to make The Balvenie “the most handcrafted of single malts” according to owner William Grant & Sons.

Caroline Hands, senior brand manager for The Balvenie said: “After a tumultuous few years, we understand and see first hand how hard it has been to recruit people into hospitality roles. The Balvenie strongly believes in preserving and celebrating craftspeople and we are hopeful that initiatives like this scholarship will help foster passion among the next generation of professionals and young talent.”

Artisanal whisky making

In addition to making whisky, The Balvenie’s distillery hosts events, from private luxury dinners through to guided tours. Throughout the scholarship month, holders will learn about the artisanal aspects of whisky making and gain insights. Candidates will work alongside the existing distillery staff on a day-to-day basis and can spend their spare time exploring the Speyside landscape.

Details of the three positions available are as follows:

* Pastry Chef: training in speciality pastry and taking responsible for creating delicacies for guests

* Chef: responsible for all main meal dishes served at The Balvenie Distillery ensuring they are representative and inclusive of single malt’s key flavour notes

* Front of House: responsible for setting and dressing tables ahead of meal services as well as offering counsel on food and whisky pairings and the creation of Balvenie cocktails.

To get a placement, final year exam results for potential students will be taken into consideration alongside interviews that will take place throughout June and July with the three successful applicants travelling to The Balvenie distillery in Dufftown, Speyside for the month of September where they will be fully immersed in the world of single malt whisky.

Join us at SIAL Paris as exhibitor Join us at SIAL Paris as visitor