Outstanding Bill

By Paul Fulford on March 6, 2008 5:12 PM | Permalink

His name mightn't be well known outside the catering industry, but Bill Farnsworth has been a major player in Birmingham's culinary scene for years.

He has just retired after more than two decades at University College Birmingham, formerly the College of Food, where, as director of catering studies, he oversaw the training of countless young chefs. Indeed, when he previously worked at Banbury College an up-and-coming lad called Gordon Ramsay was among his students.

I met him for lunch this week and it was clear as we chatted that his knowledge of the industry is huge, his passion undiminished and his commitment to high standards unrelenting.

Students at University College, he told me, get to work with the best ingredients - lobsters and dover sole, for instance - so they can fully meet the demands of the craft when they start their culinary careers.

The standard of their training was apparent today when I met two third year students from the BA Culinary Arts Management course who'd prepared a fabulous banana dessert for the Fair Trade fair taking place at Victoria Square.

This city's restaurants - and beyond - owe a big debt to University College and staff like Bill who have ensured we'll continue to eat well for years to come.