An acclaimed Birmingham restaurant has returned to a city school for a second year, offering pupils a unique taste of a career in the culinary world.
Hands-On Experience for Future Careers
The award-winning restaurant Asha's revisited Selly Park Girls' School on Friday, November 28, to run a practical cookery workshop for Year 11 students. The event, organised in partnership with the Impact Food Group, built on the success of a similar session held the previous year. Its core aim was to introduce young people to the vibrant world of hospitality and the potential career paths it offers.
Nouman Farooqui, General Manager of Asha's, explained the team's motivation for returning. "We wanted to do something to give back to the community," he said. "As a restaurant, we can share our knowledge of food and running a successful hospitality business. It's important to introduce the students to hospitality in case they want to pick that up as a career in the future."
Learning from the Best in the Kitchen
The session provided a genuine behind-the-scenes experience. Chefs from Asha's began with live demonstrations of two popular dishes: Prawn 65 and Aloo tikki with chickpeas. Following the demonstrations, the students then had the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and recreate the dishes themselves under expert guidance.
The impact was immediate and positive. Nouman Farooqui shared enthusiastic feedback, stating, "I've been told some students even took the recipes home and cooked the dishes for their families." He confirmed the restaurant's commitment to continuing this community work, adding, "We will be doing these classes more often. It feels very rewarding and it feels like we’re doing something very productive."
Building Partnerships and Opening Doors
School staff welcomed the return of the initiative. Miss Stott, Head of Technology at Selly Park Girls' School, noted that the pupils had been eagerly anticipating the day. "We’re really grateful to have Asha’s back here again for our Year 11 pupils," she said. "It’s a great experience and we’re really hopeful that they can use what they learn today in their coursework."
Ben Massey, Senior Operational Manager at Impact Food Group, praised the ongoing collaboration. "I just wanted to say a massive thank you to team Asha’s for coming to Selly Park, second year running this event," he said. "It’s such a fantastic added value opportunity for the students here. It’s great for them to have some first-hand opportunity to work with the restaurant, seeing hospitality and the career routes that are available."
Farooqui emphasised the universal value of hospitality skills, noting, "Hospitality is a great way to kick-start a career; customer service is part of almost every business. If you're dealing with clients or guests, a smile goes a long way - and we're all about that." This event highlights a growing effort to connect local industry expertise with education, providing students with tangible inspiration and practical skills for their futures.
