New Culinary Venture With International Partners

Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) and UCOL launch new culinary venture with international partner

WelTec’s award-winning School of Hospitality will join forces with the internationally renowned Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand Institute to create the New Zealand Centre for Cuisine and Hospitality Excellence. The Centre is likely to be sited in the Regent Centre on the corner of Manners Mall and lower Cuba Street. “Negotiations are underway on the site, but we are hopeful that the Regent Centre with its large floor area will house the Centre”, says Linda Sissons, Chief Executive of WelTec.

Gregory Keating, General Manager of the Duxton Hotel and chair of WelTec’s Hospitality Advisory Committee commented, “This joint venture is welcomed by Wellington hoteliers and restaurateurs. A culinary training centre in the heart of Wellington, which builds on WelTec’s excellent School of Hospitality can only benefit the greater Wellington region. I warmly welcome Le Cordon Bleu to Wellington and offer my whole-hearted support to staff and students.”

Le Cordon Bleu has 24,000 students studying at its Institutes around the world. LCB vice-president Rodger Griffiths anticipates up to 500 international students will attend the Wellington-based Centre. WelTec had almost 11,000 students studying with it last year and is planning for around 300 hospitality students to take up study with the Centre. Steven Joyce, Tertiary Education Minister, attending the launch, said “I'm really pleased to see these initiatives happening in the tertiary sector. We need this sort of international focus and innovative thinking in order to reach the world stage of tertiary education. This partnership will enable all students, domestic and international to not only work with world class training facilities, but also have a wealth of hospitality opportunities and avenues to explore worldwide. This really is the start of something. There are a whole host of networks that are set up already but just think of what might be on offer for students who walk through Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand Institute, and WelTec's School of Hospitality, come 2020 and beyond.” “The New Zealand Centre for Cuisine and Hospitality Excellence will provide substantial benefits to the wider Wellington community from the growth in student numbers and business opportunities,” said Dr Sissons. “WelTec is proud to continue to have a strong focus in the Hutt Valley through our Petone campus. We look forward to further consolidating our creative, innovative, engineering and scientific technology centre.”

ENDS

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