Tyler Ridley

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

I’m from Bedlington Station, where I was born and raised. I’ve wanted to go into a career as a chef since I was three years old, back when I first learned to cook with my mam and grandad. All through primary school, I’d opt to do cookery activities or cook with staff members rather than go into my typically ‘academic’ lessons. I’ve also got osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bones disease) and ADHD, which I think helps me in the kitchen since I can zone out, focus solely on the cooking and just flow with it. 

How did you hear about Newcastle College? Did you attend an Open Day prior to starting at the College? If so, did you find it useful?

I learned about Newcastle College through my school. We attended an Open Event on campus before I enrolled and checked out the courses on offer, but even before that, I was advised by my tutor that this course was the best one for Professional Cookery. Admittedly, I did check out Northumberland College and Sunderland College as well, but when I saw the kitchens here at Newcastle College I thought, “Yep, this is where I want to be”. I applied during an Open Event, which was really helpful because I got to find out exactly what content I’d study, what level I’d begin at, some more details about the trips available on my courses and how they’re paid for, what to wear in the kitchens and so on. Compared to the other colleges I went to, what I learned during the Open Event here is much more in-depth. 

What made you decide to come to the College and enrol on your chosen course?

I love the depth studies in my Professional Cookery course and the wider range of dishes we cook. At the College, we don’t just learn how to cook standard pub grub food – it’s everything from the fundamentals to high-end cuisine in every area of cookery, from pastry to larder, while some courses only do one. I also get to learn about how professional restaurants operate (both front of house and behind-the-scenes in the kitchens), but also in the operations of alternative business, like cocktail houses, so there’s scope to pursue multiple careers in the industry if I wanted, rather than just as a typical chef.  

How would you describe the advice and support you've received from the College staff and your tutors? Have you had any support from our Central Support Service?

Good! Can’t put it any other way – plain and simple, I ask for help and I get it every time. I’ve got a laptop through the College, which helps me to do my work if I’m ever off-site of ill; the bursary covers my food and transport, so I can get to campus and remain fuelled throughout the day; and I also get extra time in lessons or exam practicals if I need it, or if I’m struggling for any reason that day, but I can make up the extra time on another day. So long as I maintain clear communication with the employers, it’s all fine! 

Do you have any tutors with industry experience? If so, how has this helped you?

Yeah, all of them! My main tutor has taught me for the last three years, since I started on a Level 1 course at the College, and his industry experience and teaching have shaped most of the people who’ve progressed through the Professional Cookery courses with him. He shares the funniest little stories about his time in industry, which is helpful because we get to apply his feedback in our training; but he also doesn’t shy away from discussing the negative sides of the industry, like the impact that regularly working 16-hour days and focusing on his work affected his mental health. It’s been really interesting and useful to see how difficult, but crucial, it is to maintain a work-life balance in this industry, but how different that can look depending on the person.  

Did you look into financial support available from the College? If so, what support do you receive and how has it helped you?

Yes – I receive a cash bursary from the College that helps to cover the costs around my learning (such as trips, food while on campus and the travel pass to get to and from campus). 

Have you overcome any challenges while on your course? If so how has the college helped you?  

My biggest challenge was building my confidence. I started on the Professional Cookery programme three years ago on the Level 1 course, and back then I was very quiet and timid. Now, thanks to the support I’ve received from my tutors and classmates, I’ve got a voice that can shout from the top of the kitchen and still get absolutely everything I need. I’m not afraid to ask any questions in front of everyone anymore, and that’s largely a credit to my tutor – the whole class has become like a second family to everyone, so we’re all really comfortable with supporting each other and making sure we all do our best. 

What do you enjoy the most about your course?

The cooking! I love to cook and I love the knowledge that I get from my lessons. I get to learn all the technique and theory behind a dish and then cook it, make a mistake or error in the process and learn how to improve it next time. For instance, I’ve been given a burger assessment in the past, where I’ve worked in a team of three to prepare a top-quality lamb or pork burger: over a two-week period, we thought about the flavours and theories, did a test cook, figured out what we could do to improve our recipe or cookery and then made sure we made the best burger possible when it was graded for the final test.  

How do you feel that the course is benefitting you?

My course has really helped me to prepare for my future in the culinary industry, both in terms of the knowledge I’ll need to be a good chef and the coping mechanisms I’ll need to keep good mental health in such a high-pressure sector. Thanks to my tutors, I’m aware of what coping mechanisms are healthy and which ones aren’t, often because they’ve gone through that struggle themselves within the industry and have come out the other side. I’ve become much more confident, so nowadays I can walk into any restaurant and stand my ground with anyone! I’d also say that, when I go into a restaurant, I’m always now on the lookout for what works well or what could be improved – my mam says I’ve become the worst person to take into a restaurant!  

Have you done any work experience or a work placement as part of your course?

Yes, I did a placement on the Level 2 Professional Cookery programme last year with 3SIXTY in Newcastle, which was really useful experience! I did a bit of everything, from front-of-house to preparing food for service, working with other chefs who are employed there full-time on every type of dish from a main courses and desserts to afternoon tea, as well as learning about stock rotation in the storage cupboards, and what that looks like in a working kitchen. Unfortunately, I couldn’t continue it this year because I broke my kneecap in the summer, so I had to stop working there while it healed, but I’ve been coming in to work in The Bistro and The Chef’s Academy on campus every Friday this year, so I’m still getting a lot of great experience.  

What would you like to do when you finish your course? Would you consider studying a degree at Newcastle College University Centre?

Once I finish my course, I plan to Step Up to the Foundation Degree in Culinary Arts at Newcastle College University Centre – I’ve already been accepted onto the course. I’m moving onto the degree with another four people from my course, who have been with me since Level 1, which is a credit to my tutor for really inspiring us! I’ve also decided to stay at the University Centre because I know the standard of teaching, so I don’t have to re-learn anything, and I’m comfortable with all the staff. More than anything, my tutors and the whole Hospitality and Catering Team have really created a family environment that supports all of us to pick up the skills for industry, so I know that I can take myself and my career to the next level with them. 

What are your ambitions for the future?

Eventually, I’d like to get a job as a high-end or private chef for a wealthy person or family. I don’t have a particular genre of food I prefer to cook – I used to lean towards Asian cuisine, since I’ve got family Vietnam and Thailand, but I’m open to all sorts of cookery styles, really! My cousin travels the world and shows me the different foods he finds when he comes back, and his wife (who’s Vietnamese) cooks a meal and shows me first-hand the techniques for preparing animal meat in Vietnam and how it differs from the standard, ‘English’ way of cooking meat, which I think is really interesting!  

What would you say to anyone thinking of studying a course with Newcastle College?

Do it! If you’ve got the determination, you can make yourself into anything you want to be, from a commis chef, head chef or private chef to a barista or front-of-house staff member. Plenty of people on my course do both cookery and front-of-house training, so this programme really sets you up well to be anything you want to be within the world of cookery. 

What are your top tips for being a student at Newcastle College?

Listen to the tutors – they won’t steer you wrong, so you’ll have no problems. 

Keep your lanyard on – you need it to get into the buildings, so if you don’t wear it, you’ll get pestered 100 times a day!