Former SERC student to train alongside Great British Menu Finalist

Former SERC catering student Sean Comisky is preparing to travel to London to train alongside Great British Menu finalist Tom Brown at the Michelin starred restaurant Outlaw’s at The Capital.

For anyone considering returning to education, 26-year-old Sean is a great example of the rewards that can be gained from going back to the books!  

Having originally trained as a plumber just before the recession, Sean decided that he needed to retrain in a thriving industry so he decided to enrol onto a catering course at his local college.   

Reinvigorated by his course in the hospitality industry, Sean embraced all the challenges that were given to him and won numerous industry awards including IFEX, where he won a bronze medal. Sean was also part of one of only ten teams from the UK to reach the final of the Country Range Student Chef Challenge 2016 competition in Hotelympia’.  

Sean successfully completed his level 2 and level 3 catering apprenticeship and a Level 2 Award In Food Safety In Catering at SERC, and is now working as Senior Chef De Partie at the award-winning hotel Ballyrobin Country Lodge, in Antrim.  

Jim Mulholland, Head Chef at the Ballyrobin Country Lodge said “We have worked with SERC for over ten years to help train the next generation of chefs. The industry is thriving and having trained, knowledgeable staff is extremely important. I would encourage other businesses to work with SERC when upskilling or retraining staff. We are committed to continuous professional development and Sean is a great example of how we work to continually improve our staff’s technical ability. To train alongside a top chef in a renowned Michelin starred restaurant is a once in a lifetime opportunity and one which I am sure Sean will cherish for a very long time.”  

Seans tutor Ruth Doherty said: “Sean proves that it is never too late to go back to education.  We have many mature students who are returning for a variety of reasons from retraining or coming back to get the qualifications they didn’t get when they were younger.  And that is the beauty of having your local college on your doorstep.  Sean is a great role model.  We all know what a challenging climate we are working in and it is important to get the skills and qualifications which employers want.”  

She continued “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Ballyrobin Country Lodge, who were recently named Restaurant of the Year at the prestigious NI Hospitality Awards 2017 and Hotel Restaurant of the Year at the NI Food Awards 2017.  The hotel has provided SERC apprentices with valuable work experience and employment for over ten years to help enrich their studies.”  

Sean said; “I can’t wait to visit London and train alongside Tom Brown as I will receive expert mentoring and learn new culinary skills which I can apply to my daily job here at the Ballyroboin. My tutors at SERC were truly inspiring. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of a new career to go for it, it’s never too late. My advice to others is to attend an open day and speak to the tutors and careers staff about their options.”