23.01.2006
TV chef, Rick Stein, is to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Brighton's School of Service Management on 10 February 2006, for his significant national contribution to the hospitality industry and local food production.
His support for local produce and the development of rural communities is very much in harmony with the school's ongoing research into rural tourism, healthy lifestyle tourism and the small business clusters of local food producers.
To celebrate Rick Stein is opening the new Culinary Arts Studio at the School of Service Management at Darley Road, Eastbourne on the same day.
The studio is custom designed to provide a rich environment for teaching graduate and research students from hospitality, enabling them to study the social interaction within a food environment.
The university's award winning senior lecturer and chef Ken Woodward's vision for the new studio is to develop a facility that would encompass teaching, learning, and research.
It is both a kitchen and a restaurant that is open to the public on a limited basis. "It's a wonderful environment for students to experience a whole range of activities", says Gillian Parfitt, course leader.
The kitchen is open plan so students can experience customer reactions. Students work in small teams and practice management skills with their peers in a controlled environment. The space is ideal for wine tasting, cookery demonstrations and contemporary meals.
In this facility students can study the social significance of eating as well as the psychology of the consumption of food. Research can easily be carried out in the Culinary Arts Studio using the suite of Apple Mac computers.
The studio is used for a whole range of student activities and the business community can hire the facility for a range of activities including events, training, and product launches, menu development, food and equipment demonstrations.
Will Norris, a student who graduated from the School of Service Management, will be returning to the school to provide his catering expertise for the official opening of the studio. Since his graduation Will has founded a highly successful event business, the William Norris Company.
The graduation ceremony will be taking place at 10am on Friday 10 February 2006, at the Dome Brighton.
Rick Stein will be officially opening the Culinary Arts Studio at 4pm on Friday 10 February, School of Service Management at Darley Road Eastbourne.
Contact: Marketing and Communications, University of Brighton, 01273 643022
