Empowering Culinary Dreams: Celia’s Journey Through the ACE Course
In collaboration with Coexist Community Kitchen, we recently concluded another successful round of the Accelerated Cooking and Entrepreneurship (ACE) course. This eight-week programme is designed to equip participants with essential skills in professional catering and all the information needed to start a business. Over the eight weeks, we cover topics such as bread baking, butchery, food hygiene, budgeting, and business management, aiming to empower and encourage chefs to embark on their own culinary ventures. Throughout multiple cohorts, we've seen remarkable journeys unfold, and today, we shine a spotlight on one of our standout chefs, Celia.
Celia relocated to Bristol in 2023 and brought with her a wealth of experience as the founder of a cooking school and a seasoned cookery teacher from Hong Kong. With over seven years of experience, she has a passion for cooking. “I love cooking, sharing my recipes, mixing and matching different ingredients with a twist of traditional food.”
Discovering the ACE course through an Instagram post, Celia recognised its potential to embark on her entrepreneurial aspirations in the UK. "I was lacking local knowledge and network," she shares. "Although I’m confident in my cooking and teaching skills and have experience running a business, navigating the legal and tax systems in a new country is crucial for starting a food business here. This course covered exactly what I needed to know."
Looking ahead, Celia’s plans are clear: "I plan to start as a sole trader in the food business or as a cookery class tutor," she reveals.
Reflecting on the course highlights, Celia enthusiastically recalls the cooking demonstrations as the standout sessions. "I could refresh my teaching skills and become more comfortable teaching classes in English," she notes. "The cookery teacher, Kelly, is great and gives clear instructions. During the cooking sessions, I also had the chance to try and learn different cuisines from different countries."
When asked about the support she received, she acknowledged the valuable support from ACH. "The entire team is very helpful, especially Eloise; she has already passed me some referrals and potential opportunities."
Chefs who have graduated from the course have started sampling and selling their food at Coexist Community Kitchen through the 'Guest Chef Wednesday' series. During one of these events, Celia prepared Chinese lunch boxes to share her food culture with the community. The menu featured delicious cucumber and wood ear salad, pan-fried mixed veggie dumplings, and beautiful stir-fried potatoes with vinegar. Her lunch box was sold out in less than an hour.
"It was my first time making more than 120 dumplings, in addition to making a cucumber and wood ear mushroom salad and stir fry potatoes within 3 hours.
Thanks, Coexist Community Kitchen and ACH, for providing this wonderful platform for me to share my recipes and connect with people from different backgrounds who also enjoy food around the world.
Food is always the best language to connect people."
If you want to check out Celia’s recipes, follow her Instagram and YouTube accounts.
Stay tuned for more success stories and updates from our ACE course.
