My last days in Portugal!

 This is Panos again writing from Portimão. After spending the last three months working at Numa, I can safely say I have grown a lot both as a chef but also as a person. Nuno is a great chef with a lot of knowledge and experience. He is also very good with students since he is a lecturer himself at the local cooking school. That made me feel more comfortable because this was my first time working in a fine-dining restaurant and I was a bit nervous at first.  

The first half of my placement was a bit quiet because February and March are off-season months and most places in Portimão hibernate until the tourist season kicks in. The other half of my placement was more fun and interesting because we were busier. To me that meant more food preparation, more cooking, more responsibilities and generally more opportunities to grow and develop myself.  

During my time here I learned to fillet and cook fish I didn´t even know existed. I learned how different fish have different cooking times and how the quality of meats can change their cooking time. Soon I realized that I should rely more on my senses and less on timers and I became more independent and confident on my skills. I also learned how to think outside the box and use the equipment that was available to make service easier and smoother. 

The kitchen is spacious and well-equipped with tools like sous-vide, vacuum chamber, Thermomix, stand mixers, bread ovens etc. I found it similar to the production kitchen in SETU and I was very happy with it because the previous kitchens I worked at were very small and I was half-expecting something similar to that. 

Our team was small but we all got along really well with each other and I felt very supported at work. On my days off, I was able to explore Portimão and nearby cities/towns. Despite the city´s small size, it has a lot to offer because it caters for a lot of tourists during the summer. There is a plethora of excursions available for purchase such as boat trips, safari trips, skydiving etc. There is also a big waterpark about ten minutes away from the city that is easily accessible by bus and train so I felt like I had lots of things to do on my days off. The beaches in Portimão are the nicest in the Algarve region and they are definitely worth a visit too!

As I am saying goodbye to Portugal, I think of how privileged I am to have done my work placement in such a beautiful country and that I will be coming back someday in the near future. In the meantime, I have my final year at the university to look forward to.

Signing off,

Panos

Blue Mountain Ski Trip, Canada

 As part of our Erasmus exchange programme we had the incredible opportunity to embark on a ski trip to the Blue Mountains in North Ontario. What made this adventure even more remarkable was the fact that the college generously sponsored the entire trip, as well as providing us with food for the day too. We left our college residence at 8am and set off on what would be a 2 hour drive up towards the mountains. The journey felt quite long as it seems the entirety of Canada is always under construction, so the roads were very bumpy and the old style yellow school bus we were in didn’t do us any favours in terms of comfort.

As we arrived at the Blue Mountains ski resort, I was greeted by a panorama of majestic slopes and glistening white snow. The sun was nowhere to be seen when we got there but the weather was calm and there was no rain thank God. We got into the main building of the resort and were given our ski passes and suited and booted in the whole ski attire. After we were all ready to rock, we trundled out towards the slopes looking like juggernauts and went on our way.As part of our Erasmus exchange programme, had the incredible opportunity to embark on a ski trip to the Blue Mountains in North Ontario. What made this adventure even more remarkable was the fact that the college generously sponsored the entire trip, as well as providing us with food for the day too. We left our college residence at 8am and set off on what would be a 2 hour drive up towards the mountains. The journey felt quite long as it seems the entirety of Canada is always under construction, so the roads were very bumpy and the old style yellow school bus we were in didn’t do us any favours in terms of comfort.

As we arrived at the Blue Mountains ski resort, I was greeted by a panorama of majestic slopes and glistening white snow. The sun was nowhere to be seen when we got there but the weather was calm and there was no rain thank God. We got into the main building of the resort and were given our ski passes and suited and booted in the whole ski attire. After we were all ready to rock, we trundled out towards the slopes looking like juggernauts and went on our way.

As we arrived late, there wasn’t enough time for the people who hadn’t skied before to get lessons, so I graciously took it upon myself to teach the lads what ski knowledge I had as I had been skiing before, a decision I would end up questioning…….

We began on what one may call the “baby slope” so the lads could find their bearings. I gave them what advice I had and went on ahead a bit so they could follow. Unsurprisingly, as I turned around to check on them, all 3 of them had hit the deck and were absorbed into the

snow. It took a few trips up and down this slope to help them find their feet but I eventually got them courageous enough to hit the next slope.

Once we reached the top of the next slope, my ski apprentices were ready to be let loose, so I sent them on their way and followed behind. It came as no surprise when I found them all on the ground again but it provided me with endless entertainment.

After a few more falls it was time for us to head off again, we all sat down for lunch and had a laugh about the day we had had. We all crammed into our yellow school bus again and headed back for residence.

As we arrived late, there wasn’t enough time for the people who hadn’t skied before to get lessons, so I graciously took it upon myself to teach the lads what ski knowledge I had as I had been skiing before, a decision I would end up questioning…….

We began on what one may call the “baby slope” so the lads could find their bearings. I gave them what advice I had and went on ahead a bit so they could follow. Unsurprisingly, as I turned around to check on them, all 3 of them had hit the deck and were absorbed into the snow. It took a few trips up and down this slope to help them find their feet but I eventually got them courageous enough to hit the next slope.

Once we reached the top of the next slope, my ski apprentices were ready to be let loose, so I sent them on their way and followed behind. It came as no surprise when I found them all on the ground again but it provided me with endless entertainment!

After a few more falls it was time for us to head off again, we all sat down for lunch and had a laugh about the day we had had. We all crammed into our yellow school bus again and headed back for the residence.

Enjoying Toronto!

 As my journey as an exchange student at Humber College in Toronto began, I was excited to explore a new culture, meet new people, and gain culinary knowledge from some of the best chefs in Canada. Humber College is a massive institution, with several campuses located in different parts of Toronto, offering programs ranging from culinary arts to music production. I was impressed by how big the college was and the range of resources available to students.

One of the things that struck me about Humber College was how welcoming the staff were to us. As international students, we were given a warm welcome and made to feel at home from the moment we arrived. The staff were accommodating, friendly, and always ready to help us with any questions we had. The culinary instructors are knowledgeable and passionate about their craft, and they will hopefully provide us with a wealth of information and practical skills.

One of the highlights of my exchange program so far was meeting new friends from all over the world. There is a huge, diverse group of students from different backgrounds, cultures, and culinary traditions, but we all shared a love for food and cooking. It was exciting to exchange ideas and techniques with my fellow students, and we all now have an opportunity to learn a lot from each other.

As my journey as an exchange student at Humber College in Toronto began, I was excited to explore a new culture, meet new people, and gain culinary knowledge from some of the best chefs in Canada. Humber College is a massive institution, with several campuses located in different parts of Toronto, offering programs ranging from culinary arts to music production. I was impressed by how big the college was and the range of resources available to students.

One of the most thrilling experiences for me was exploring downtown Toronto for the first time. The city has a vibrant and diverse culinary scene, with restaurants, food trucks, and markets offering a range of international cuisines. I was especially excited to try some of the iconic Canadian dishes like poutine, smoked meat sandwiches, and butter tarts. The city is also home to many cultural attractions, like the CN Tower, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Royal Ontario Museum, which provided us with opportunities to learn more about Canada's history and art.

My exchange program at Humber College in Toronto has been an incredible journey so far. I am excited to continue my journey in Canada for the weeks to come, to gain more culinary knowledge and explore more of the Canadian culinary scene. I am also excited about the upcoming trips planned for us by the business faculty, which will allow us to experience different parts of Canada and learn more about the culture and cuisine.

I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and excited to see where this journey will take me. I feel that this exchange program will open many doors for me, and I am eager to see where these experiences will take me in my culinary career.

Settling in Toronto

How are ye,

Have to say, enjoying Canada, completely settled in, got to know a few more exchange students from lakeshore campus, there’s a lot more of them there then at north campus. Its mad how I’m nearly done the semester here, feel like I zoned out for some of it because it went so fast!

Went to Chicago, it was probably about 12-14 degrees there and I though it was roasting compared to Toronto. We ate at Alinea, a 3-Michelin star restaurant. Chicago as a city was really nice, I actually preferred it to Toronto, just nicer to look at and we just had a good laugh there, it was only a short 3-day trip but hopefully I'll go back in the future.

The exchange group is being treated very well, we’ve had a good few trips and activities, we went skiing (I wasn’t the best at this!), also had a hockey game and basketball game and went to Niagara Falls (have to say I thought it was gonna be bigger!). The weather her has been very nice recently hit 28 degrees for one of the days and might have skipped class to go get burnt on the beach! Everything has come to life, Spring has really changed the place and made it more enjoyable, there's turtles, frogs and fish in the ponds now, also seeing more birds and geese here, might have even got a tattoo of a goose with James.

We did our menu for Chefs Table, James, Ben and myself were in a group, I was on starters, James on mains and Ben on dessert. I have to say I was very happy with the dish; I made a confit duck fritter, basically shredded the duck after cooking it and rolled it and breadcrumbed it, this was served with a watercress, pickled shallot and fennel salad with roast plum and bone marrow mayo with a red wine jus.

I’ve decided I’m going travelling to Calgary and Banff and Vancouver at the end of the semester. I’m going with a few people I met in the exchange, hopefully it all goes well. 

Overall, looking back on the experience I can say I’ve enjoyed it, don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much! I’ve gotten a new appreciation for SETU too. The food in Canada needs improvement and the ingredients could taste more like their meant to, however, I think opening a nice place over here with nice food could make a lot of money!

If you can get past the food, the expense, and living in a small room then you'll enjoy it, don’t take it too seriously, have a laugh, and enjoy the time off!

All the best, 

Callum