Edinburgh College Food & Hospitality students enjoy visit from award-winning former student and MasterChef The Professionals contestant Gemma Costa
A group of students on the College’s HNC Hospitality Operations were treated to an educational visit from Gemma Costa, a former student of the College herself and now the owner and operator of her own award-winning catering and food truck business, Planet G.
Gemma, who was a quarter finalist in the latest series of MasterChef The Professionals, previously completed the HNC Hospitality course before going on to Edinburgh Napier University. She gave up her time to tell the class all about her journey from student to business owner, giving them an honest inside look at the trials and tribulations, as well as great successes, that she’s experienced along the way.
Addressing the students, Gemma spoke glowingly about the College’s impact on her life:
“The lessons I learned here still serve me well to this day, especially the things like health and safety, how to do your finances, I actually would say the skills I was taught here were more useful than the ones I learned at university!
“The College environment really suited me, you can form a relationship with your lecturers, and I had a lot of support that helped me. English is my second language and having that support was really vital. You are taught the importance of resilience, and that is an invaluable tool to have if you want to succeed in the hospitality industry.”
Opening up her talk to the floor, Gemma took questions from students, with everyone brave enough to ask getting a free plant cookie!
The Italian chef spoke about the benefits of being your own boss, and offered advice to the class:
“I’ve never been the sort of person who enjoyed working for someone, and I always wanted to open my own business. Thanks to the things I learned here, I was able to do that! It’s not been easy, and you need to prepare yourself for a lot of stress and sleepless nights, a lot of which can come from circumstances that are out of your control. If you can maintain the quality, and always make sure to put passion into your food, you’ll be successful.”
Sarah MacLeod-Bonnar, lecturer in Food & Hospitality, said her former student had quite the impact on her current crop of learners:
“It was fantastic to welcome Gemma back to Edinburgh College. Everyone in the department is so proud of her success, and it was great to see how excited she was to give something back. She spoke at length about what it takes to make it as a professional, and you could see everyone in the room soaking in all the wisdom she had to offer. We wish her all the best for her future endeavours.”