MANILA, Philippines - Manila Hotel served as the perfect venue for an apprenticeship program held recently for six foreign students from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), The event was organized through a partnership with the country’s pioneer culinary institute the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) Manila.
This year, six students from NAIT, namely Melissa Katherine Laan, Miranda May Baxter, Mary Ann Aquino, Tanya Marie Lesiuk, Jan Lucian Abia, and Sheldon Colby Polowick, came to the Philippines for a three-week training stint at the Manila Hotel. They were accompanied by chef Vinod Varshney, program Chairperson at NAIT’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts.
“We feel honored having been selected by CCA Manila as the setting of the apprenticeship,” said Manila Hotel general manager Leon Keekstra. “We are very glad to host them here and provide them with the five-star hotel kitchen exposure that they need. We’d love to work with CCA Manila and NAIT for future apprenticeship programs.” Overseeing the training schedule of the students was Manila Hotel executive sous chef Christine Zarandin. “They were very appreciative of what they learned, and they really absorbed everything well. They were open to different stuff and in trying the local food, and even copied recipes to bring home with them. I did not see anybody take a break during their work schedule and they were very efficient even if we have different kitchens compared to what they are probably used to in Canada,” chef Christine related. “We really wanted them to see exactly what happens in a five-star hotel environment, to gauge whether they can handle the pressure of serving different kitchens while ensuring that every plate looks and tastes perfect. I believe they were very happy with their experience here.”
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For inquiries on CCA Manila, call 994-2520 to 40 or e-mail marketing@cca-manila.com or visit: www.cca-manila.com. CCA Manila campus is located at 287 Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City.