In addition to the day to day running of the The Fine Dining Academy cookery school the Academy also coaches new talent to become proficient restaurateurs capable of running a financially viable fine-dining experience. Coaching includes financial management, marketing, sales and business development, strategic thinking and tactical development.

Rising Stars spend time in each of the Group’s restaurants honing their skills and ultimately, if good enough, get given their own restaurant to run and develop with enough freedom to express their own individualism and personality.

Our apprentices have been blogging about some of their experiences during their training with us.  To read the apprentice’s blog please click here.

For further details about the Rising Stars Apprentice Programme, please click here.

Stephen and Joanna Bulmer are closing the Brook Hall Cookery School at the end of December 2011 and will be integrating their skills into the 10in8 Group’s cookery school and Fine Dining Academy.

Stephen will teach regularly at the cookery school but has also been appointed as Head Chef at 10in8’s Restaurant Angélique in Dartmouth. Joanna will become 10 in 8’s Head of Marketing. Joanna Bulmer commented: ‘We are delighted to be joining the 10 in 8 Fine Dining Group. We share in its values and ambitions and look forward to playing a significant part in their development and growth.’

Richard Pursey, Chairman of the 10 in 8 Group commented: ‘We are delighted to have reached an agreement to bring Jo and Steve into our Group. Developing talent is crucial for our long-term sustainability and is core to the Fine Dining Academy’s rising star apprenticeship programme. Steve and Joanna bring to 10 in 8 specialist skills that complement our existing talents. Our Fine Dining Academy has probably the strongest teaching line up of any restaurant-based cookery school in the UK and as such, provides a unique offering to customers and apprentices alike.

Stephen will expand this offering further while Joanna will help us to build and maximise the potential of our customer base across the Group.’ Stephen Bulmer is widely acknowledged to be one the UK’s leading cookery school teachers. His combination of top-level expertise with a relaxed, light-hearted teaching style has built a significant customer following. Before opening Brook Hall he ran the Raymond Blanc Cookery School at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons following in the footsteps of 10in8’s Executive Chef, Alan Murchison. Joanna Bulmer has a blue-chip advertising and direct marketing background as well as top-level hospitality management experience, also gained at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

Check out today’s “The Independent” newspaper in which our cookery school Director Chef Chris Horridge talks about how to make Michelin-starred healthy puddings!

“Not so naughty, but still nice: Chefs are developing guilt-free desserts by replacing sugar with spice”

The Independent.

21st July 2011

“When he first presented his gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free puds on the television programme Great British Menu three years ago, when he was head chef at the Michelin-starred Bath Priory Hotel, he wowed the judges but alienated a large swathe of the pudding-eating British public. “It is definitely possible to make healthy desserts that taste just as good,” he says. “You can use gluten-free flour in most cases as you would normal flour, for example. We did an Opera Cake, which is a classic French sugar-rich dessert, with no dairy, no sugar, and made from gluten-free flour. We gave it to the pastry chef without telling him and he couldn’t even taste any difference.”

To read the full article in The Independent newspaper please click here.

The owners of The Fine Dining Academy cookery school are celebrating Michelin-star success with the inclusion of three of their restaurants in the 100th edition of The Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland.

Paris House in Woburn, one of only five new additions to the list of one star restaurants outside London, was acquired by the group in December 2009 and then opened two months later.

The group is also celebrating a Michelin-star for their restaurants l’ortolan in Berkshire, which has now retained a star for 9 years in a row and for La Bécasse in Ludlow, which has retained its star for the third consecutive year.
Alan Murchison CEO & Executive Chef of the group said “It’s been a nerve racking morning for us all but I am absolutely thrilled for the whole 10 in 8 team as these awards recognizes all the hard work they have put in during the past year.”

Richard Pursey Chairman of the group said “We are bowled over by the news and are delighted for the whole team. This award is testimony to the talent and hard work of the youngsters we are developing within the business and aiming to establish in the industry.”

Make someone’s New Year special with Fine Dining Academy gift vouchers – The perfect Christmas present for any food enthusiast. Why not buy an ‘open voucher’ to the value of your choice. Then the lucky recipient can have a look at all of the courses we offer and then redeem the voucher here on the website, all in their own time. All vouchers are valid for 1 year from date of purchase so there is plenty of time to redeem.

To purchase a gift voucher, please click here.