257: Career Conversations: Shaping the next generation of sustainable chefs

<div>When Ben Christopherson was travelling, shortly after going to catering college, he knew he wanted to work in pastry - but nobody would let him have a go.<br> <br> </div> <div>"On the continent they just would not let you in the pastry kitchen if you didn't have experience or a qualification. I didn't have either of those," he tells Elisa Roche in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, made in association with the <a href="https://www.uwl.ac.uk/">University of West London (UWL)</a>.<br> <br> </div> <div>But Ben says that experience is what drove him to get some qualifications in patisserie and go on to have a hugely successful career as a Head Pastry Chef.<br> <br> </div> <div>He ended up working at places like the luxury Goring Hotel, Harrods, and eventually launching his own business.<br> <br> </div> <div>All of that experience feeds into the work he does now as a lecturer in <a href="https://www.uwl.ac.uk/courses/future-food-nutrition-and-culinary-arts">Food Studies and Hospitality at UWL</a>.<br> <br> </div> <div>Ben describes the role as being a mix of teaching, competition training, creating new modules, liaising with industry, and of course, some admin.<br> <br> </div> <div>He says the variety is what he loves abut the job: "There aren't two or three days that are the same."<br> <br> </div> <div>Ben is also leading <a href="https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/article/the-university-of-west-london-launches-a-sustainable-culinary-course/">a brand new course at UWL that puts sustainability at the heart of cooking and eating</a>. Future Food and Culinary Management covers all sorts, including how to create plant-based menus, learning how to source food responsibly, and following new eating trends that won’t harm the planet.<br> <br> </div> <div>Ben says one module focusses solely on pastry, but using only plant-based ingredients: "Patisserie and bakery lend themselves really well to using plant-based alternatives."<br> <br> </div> <div>And the course is not just aimed at people