July 2024
Daniel's Story
By Daniel Bennett
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Daniel Bennett
Hospitality Tourism Management BA (Hons)
From potato peeler to gourmet host
When Daniel was a child, his father would regularly cook the family’s meals at home. Watching, helping, and experiencing the sights and smells led him to fall in love with all things culinary. After humble beginnings peeling potatoes in local pubs, he went on to study catering, before moving into hospitality.
“Working Front of House, you meet a wide variety of people, travel, and experience new ideas in exciting locations. It all started when I began my degree.”
The University and city were huge draws for Daniel, and he remembers the course and facilities fondly. “It's renowned everywhere across the UK, and even in Europe, with an immense array of courses on offer providing a rich diversity of learning experiences. The setup here is like a real-life, working restaurant kitchen. In fact, what’s on offer is often better – professional chefs come just to use them!”
Since graduating Daniel has worked across the country, run a pop-up restaurant with MasterChef: The Professionals winner Stuart Deeley, and recently won the prestigious Acorn Award. Despite having graduated, he is still inspired by College of Food staff who are leaders in their fields.
“As it's a smaller university, you get a more personalised experience. Everyone who studies here is taught by the most amazing people who live their work and only want the best for you. I keep in contact with many of them even today.”