Tag Archives: hospitality

Student Showcases Research in Parliament

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Karolina-HospitalityKarolina Tarnauskaite, a BA (Hons) Level H International Hospitality Management student recently travelled to Westminster to show-case her dissertation research at the ‘Posters in Parliament’ event.

Posters in Parliament brings together some of the best undergraduate research from across the country. The event is part of the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR), a group of universities dedicated to encouraging a national culture of undergraduate research.

This year Karolina was one of 40 students to present their work. Karolina’s research topic ‘Spanish Tapas Concept in other cuisines in the UK Hospitality Industry’, explores peoples’ perceptions and attitudes toward Tapas style meal experiences.

Reflecting on her time at Westminster, Karolina said: “Posters in Parliament gave me the perfect opportunity to present my research to the wider society, and it was a very successful event.

“Not only was I able to present the issues that I have an interest in, but also to discuss these issues with people from different backgrounds with numerous attitudes and opinions. I would say it’s the biggest compliment to be chosen to present Undergraduate Research at Posters in Parliament.”

Karolina hopes that her findings could provide recommendations for those businesses who have implemented or are interested in the Tapas concept.

Chartwells have achieved the Soil Association’s Bronze Food for Life Catering Mark

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Food For Life Catering Mark Bronze PhotoThe Food for Life Catering Mark is based on the principles that food should be fresh, local, seasonal and better for animal welfare. It means food is freshly prepared using ingredients which are free from GM and harmful additives.

This means that the food Chartwells serve is meeting standards around freshness, provenance and traceability; meaning that staff and students can eat at BU with confidence. The Catering Mark shows that Chartwells prioritise and promote healthy choices and sustainable purchasing.

Ricky King, General Manager for Catering, BU said “For the Chartwells team to achieve the Bronze Food for Life Accreditations is a fantastic result. Meeting the standards for traceability, integrity and good provenance with a trusted industry symbol makes us very proud and it is one of the key goals we have pledged to achieve with BU, bring on Silver standard!”

Chartwells have passed a thorough inspection by the Soil Association to show that they meet the bronze standards detailed below, and will be inspected every year so that they can show they’ve kept up the good work.

Bronze Standards

  • Meals contain no undesirable food additives or hydrogenated fats
  • 75% of dishes are freshly prepared
  • Meat is from farms which satisfy UK welfare standards
  • Eggs are from cage-free hens
  • Menus are seasonal
  • Training is provided for all catering staff
  • No GM ingredients are used
  • Free drinking water is prominently available
  • No fish are served from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) ‘fish to avoid’ list
  • Information is on display about food provenance
  • All suppliers have been verified to ensure they apply appropriate food safety standards

For more information about the Catering Mark please visit the Soil Association website.

Photo: Shane Wilson, Catering Manager for BU at Talbot Campus and Thom Barker, Head Chef for BU, with the Food for Life, Bronze Standard Certificate.