Students Serve Up Hospitality Dinner With Cardiff’s Award-Winning Clink Restaurant

Hospitality Management students have served up a delicious feast at an annual Industry-Education dinner held by the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Management. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This year’s event was held in collaboration with The Clink restaurant and hosted at the University’s SA Brains Hospitality Suite within Cardiff School of Management. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Clink is a restaurant run by The Clink Charity which is based at HMP Cardiff and is staffed by prisoners working towards City & Guilds NVQs in Food Preparation, Food Service and Customer Service. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Clink has won several prestigious awards, including being named tenth best restaurant in the UK in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2015. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Guests from VisitWales, Sodexo, KidneyWales, National Museum Wales, Cardiff Airport and City of Cardiff Council attended the dinner. Schools, colleges and industry partners that offer Cardiff Met students placements and scholarships were also invited. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

On the night, Head Chef Sebastien Vanoni mentored and worked with two prisoners from the Clink and Cardiff Met students. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The menu included savoury baked cheesecake with thyme shortbread and cranberry relish followed by a choice of poached and roasted chicken served with puy lentils, salsify and glazed carrots and finished with a thyme jus or hand cut pappardelle with a mushroom and tarragon ragu, finished with a black olive crumb. Dessert was Cox’s apple and comice pear tarte tartin with clotted cream. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Jason Lawrence, General Manager of The Clink Restaurant at HMP Cardiff said: “The event provided both the students at Cardiff Met and our prisoners in training a great opportunity to showcase their skills and to further develop the relationship between the university and The Clink Charity and Restaurants. We wish all students who took part in the event all the best in progressing their careers.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Andy Roberts, Hospitality Programme Director said: “This year’s successful meal is a culmination of the relationship the University has built over the last year with the restaurant and we are keen to support their excellent work moving forward.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​