First days at Ulster University, Coleraine

I am now halfway through my first semester at Ulster University. The first week was definitely the hardest just because of the size of the campus and finding my way to Coleraine. I am staying in Belfast city whilst the University itself is in Coleraine. So, for me this is an hour’s train in the mornings, but I have really learned to enjoy it due to the beautiful landscapes we pass through the countryside’s of Belfast. When I first made my way into the campus, I was greeted by multiple members of staff who directed me to our presentation with the other international students. We then had a chance to sit and meet these students from all around the world. The support staff really lived up to their name and were there to guide us and help with anything we needed. Some of the facilities on the campus includes a nature walk around the college taking you on a scenic route around the skirts of the university., another facility is the 24hr library that is filled with any materials we need for our studies. I have so far spent a lot of time in the library, whether it be arriving early or between lectures.

I had a great time throughout the induction week despite the nerves. So, we had some presentations about the academic side of what we would need to know about their style of assignments, thankfully I found this to be really similar to the assignments in SETU. Then we took part of several quizzes with the other international students about Northern Ireland's history or fun facts and trivia. Then we were brought to the main hall of the campus were there was several tables placed around the hall that were all different information desks and sign-up spots. At nearly every table that we went to we were given free things such as pens, notebooks, water bottles, bags, key rings, fidget spinners and more. It was in here where we were put in touch with people that could give student support finically or mentally. Live music was playing on the stage at the top of the hall whilst free pizza was on offer with vouchers and coupons. On the other side of the hall there was different tables for different sports along with sign up sheets, these included football teams, basketball teams and surfing for example.

All the best for now, Evan

Enjoying life in Ulster!

Welcome to my blog, I’m Hannah Roche and a 3rd year student in the SETU Culinary arts degree. I’m currently studying in Coleraine’s Ulster University for my Erasmus study placement. Arriving in Northern Ireland was more different than I expected. I was preparing for a similar life as home but it became apparent that the culture, food and people have their own unique persona.

It took a few weeks to understand the North, the transport, the accents and the people but I soon found myself comfortable with the change. I decided to get a job in the local hotel as a waitress to earn some extra cash and meet some local people which was probably the best idea I had. The group of people I work with are amazing and so welcoming. After work we always have a drink at the bar and most of the we go out afterwards.

Life in Coleraine is a bit slower paced then Waterford in terms of social life. There is various pubs, restaurants, nightclubs but with a slightly less population but thankful the options of traveling to Derry or Belfast for a trip is an option. Considering it was halloweekend a couple of friends and I decided to go out in Belfast for a night out rather than staying Coleraine like usual. The trip to Belfast was a perfect way to spend weekend, we got to eat out in various nice restaurants, we got to go sightseeing and most importantly we got to experience Halloween weekend nights out in different bars and nightclubs in Belfast. The transport we took was a train which only took an hour and a half, only in Belfast we used uber which was cheap and fast. University work is enjoyable and easy to do, there is no stress about deadlines or missing assignments as the UUC have a very relaxed approach to education which is very positive for me as I work better with space and time. In terms of university, I haven’t had much opportunity to meet up with any classmates due to busy schedules but in terms of my part time job I am thriving. We all travelled to Belfast last Monday for a staff night out in which we rented out tour bikes in which we travelled around Belfast on a bar on wheels which we had to pedal all while getting free drinks. The staff night was brilliant as most of the staff are my age and we all have a lot in common. We ended up in a lot of different bars around the city.

If I had to summarize my time up here so far, I would most definitely state what a great time I’m having and how grateful I am that I’ve met so many wonderful people in my short time up here so far. I am so grateful that I came up here with an open mind and am willing to meet new people, I strongly believe that it made me settle so much easier along with being able to go out with new friends to enjoy what the north has to offer.

In Bruges!

During second year in BA Culinary Arts in SETU Waterford I had the opportunity to choose somewhere to go on college placement in my third year and I decided to go to Vives University in Brugge in Belgium. Having never been to Belgium and not knowing how to speak Dutch which is the main language of the region I’m staying in I was pleasantly surprised to see that the level of English was really good from everyone so I have no issues talking to people. After I got here we had a fun induction day with all the other Erasmus students who came to Vives too. Learning about Belgium and its culture has been pretty fun so far, with the best parts in my opinion being food, beer and chocolate for obvious reasons, because they all lead to a good time. Through one of the classes I’m taking here called Taste of Belgium I’ve been able to not only learn about the culture and history of the area, I’ve also been able to taste many different products and go on trips to see different places.

The last one of these trips we went on started in front of a large cathedral here I Brugge and we walked around some of the restaurant area to take a look at all the different types of cuisine that was in that small area. I was surprised at how many good restaurants there were compared to the amount that are in Waterford, but it makes sense with how their culture views food and eating compared to Ireland.

After that we went and got some cookies in a chocolate store and took a walk past the Belgian Beer Wall, a glass wall that contains what I assume is close to evert Belgian beer and the glasses that these beers are expected to be enjoyed from, since Belgians are quite adamant that each beer needs its own glass. Something I had thought was a bit excessive but its still interesting to try different beers and see the different glasses that they are in.

After the beer wall we made our way to the chocolate museum to learn about the history of Belgian chocolate, a product that I’m sure everyone likes to eat and is very famous worldwide. We learned how chocolate was first created and how it evolved into the sweet treat that people love in this day and age. Of course there was also different types of chocolate that was available for us to try at the end of the tour, along with chocolate sculptures that were made with amazing precision and craftsmanship. I did a bit of exploring around Brugge and the surrounding towns myself going to a few of the tourist attractions myself such as the torture museum, Sculpture museum and to the beach at Oostende and Knokke. I think next I’m gonna start going to some more of the restaurants that are around to see what the food is like and I’ll be sure to tell everyone about them. Hope you enjoyed, Conor

Greetings from Toronto!

Greetings from Toronto! The time here really flies by quick I’ve already been here for 2 months, and it is feeling like a few weeks. I’ve gotten to see some much here as there is always something to explore in Toronto. Although travelling by myself was a little bit tough I am so grateful I did take the leap. Canada is quite a beautiful country and I’m so happy I just got to explore this small part. Due to living in Etobicoke. There isn’t much of a social scene so for any activities I would travel more closer to Toronto, for example I have gotten to see Ice Hockey and Basketball, which I loved.

It’s incredible learning new things about this area because you would never come across it back home. While traveling alone was dauting I was amazed by the kindness of Canadians, I knew traveling out here they were very caring people, but I suppose you don’t believe it until you see it, my classmates were so welcoming and were always interested to learn about Ireland and how it can differ too here. With the course at Humber, I do have quite a lot of down time as I only have 4 classes a week with them being 3-4 hours long and not many assignments either due. I have a small amount of work due but not as many assignments like SETU, as this course is more focused on the practical side of cooking and our course back home being 2 years longer has the opportunity to have a widespread learning base. I definitely find I am learning more and more out here as I’m viewing culinary arts through a new light, while some work is a bit repetitive, I don’t mind the practice. I have attached some photos of just a glimpse of Toronto, as there is so much going on in this city you are never bored. Especially for all the foodies which I know a lot of us are Toronto is home to one of the best food markets, called St. Lawerence market you can find everything in here, from fresh meat and fish to the largest selection of cheeses.

I have come across there truly is something for everyone here. If you are considering travelling to Canada either alone or with someone else, I would warn you when it gets cold here it gets colder, I may have been fooled by the last of the summer heat in august and early September but now it is nearly November the temperatures do drop…A LOT.

Greetings from Coleraine!

Hi, my name is Sarah and I’m on my international year of the four year level 8 culinary arts course in SETU. For semester one I have chosen to attend University of Ulster in Coleraine from September to December. University of Ulster has three campuses, Coleraine, Belfast and Derry. The Coleraine campus is much smaller than SETU with only 5000 students. There is a very relaxed atmosphere here and we met many other international students. The university has many amenities for students such as a gym, various sports clubs and a strength and conditioning suite.

I am renting an apartment with Hannah, one of my classmates. It is a two bed apartment located in Portrush. The apartment is a two minute walk from the beach and has a lovely long walk up around the cliffs with gorgeous views. It is a ten minute drive to the college by car, luckily Hannah and I take turns driving to college each day. There is a bus stop straight across from our apartment and the train station is a five minute walk also. There is lots to do around the Portrush, Coleraine and Portstewart area. I have been to many bakeries and cafes over my few weeks since my arrival in Northern Ireland. The town is very calm and quiet which is also nice.

The modules in ulster are quite different to SETU. The modules I am studying are product development, applied sensory science and quality control and lastly, food studies and nutrition We look at different aspects of food such as developing products for the shelves and researching the information needed in addition to the products. It’s interesting to see the method behind producing products and all the testing required to make it feasible for sale. For us, we only have college on Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s which means we can go home for the weekend if we wish. The lecturers are very warm and welcoming and are easy to talk to. They made us feel right at home upon arrival and in the first few weeks of classes. Overall, I’m enjoying my experience so far in Portrush. I’m settling into a routine and I’ve plenty of spare time to explore the area and have fun. We’re nearly halfway through, the weeks really are flying by. We finish classes on the 15th of December for Christmas. I’ll sign off here from West Beach, Portrush.

Settling into Brugge, Belgium Study Semester 1!

After spending the summer since my previous semester in SETU working in Ireland getting prepared for my international Study period where I’d be travelling to Brugge, a city in Belgium for the 1st Semester of my 3rd year on the BA (Hon) in Culinary Arts, the time came where I was ready to leave for the next adventure of my culinary career. Brugge is a historical city on the north-west of Belgium. The city has a population of 117 thousand people, and the country of Belgium has a population of 11.59 million in total. I arrived in Brugge on the 11th of September after plane journey and a few hours of travelling by bus from Charleroi Airport to get to Brugge station which was just outside the city centre. As I was travelling with plenty of luggage, I took an Uber from the station to the University of VIVES which is in the Sint – Michiels neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city. After 4 minutes in the uber I saw the University, and as soon as I got out of the uber I felt delighted, because I saw on the maps of the layout of the grounds that “The Crown” accommodation, where I would be living, was literally directly across from the main campus. I met with Katrien, the housing officer and got myself checked in and got myself comfortable after an early morning flight and a few hours of travelling, it was nice to be able to stay in the room for a few hours as I felt tired and felt like relaxing after the long morning. On the 12th of September I went to the University for induction at around 9am where I was introduced to Melanie Carbonelle, the International University Officer, and got to interact with the other international students and was given an overview of the college as well the rules and regulations towards the college. After all that was done, we were split into groups for ice breaker games which I thought were a good way of getting to know who could be on the Culinary Arts and hospitality programmes. After the ice breaker games, I was given a briefing on the Culinary Course followed by a tour of the campus buildings and facilities. After the induction, I went into Brugge City and began exploring the centre including a stop for food. I went travelling around sightseeing and shopping, as I still had to get a few college essentials as well. After all the sightseeing and as it was getting dark, I went back to the accommodation by bus as it stopped right outside the crown. Over the weekend before the semester started, I went to the neighbouring cities of Ghent and Antwerp for some more sightseeing, I also spent a fair bit of time getting settled into the accommodation. I spent a lot of time going around the main attractions and seeing the amazing old gothic style architectures around the areas. I am starting to get settled into Brugge and looking forward to seeing what the city has to offer over the next coming weeks while I complete my studies. Until next time, Stuart Dunne Maher.

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