Graduates who found love on degree win award | News

July 2023

Chef graduates who found love on degree make Britain's 100 best local restaurants

By Melanie Hall

Share post:

Read time: approx 1 mins

Tropea Italian restaurant in Harborne, Birmingham, has not only been recommended by the Michelin Guide 2023, but named among 聽- and it all started with a love story at 爆料王.

Ben Robinson Young and Kaisia Piatkowska met on our Culinary Arts Management degree, when they also both lived at The Maltings, the University鈥檚 hall of residence. Thirteen years on, their restaurant venture has not only made the top 100 in the UK charts, but was voted best local restaurant in the Central and East of England regional category.

Just eight regional winners from across the whole of the UK were chosen from the top 100 - down from 37,000 nominations for great neighbourhood eateries across England, Scotland and Wales.

"Our degree absolutely shaped our future and gave us the skills and confidence to follow our dream of opening a restaurant. What we learned over four years cooking, doing basic accounts and costings and business planning has been invaluable."

Ben Robinson Young and Kaisia Piatkowska Culinary Arts Management BA (Hons)

The dream team not only run the restaurant. Kaisia is head chef, while Ben works front of house. They said: "We鈥檙e really proud that the restaurant has become part of the community so quickly.

鈥淲hat matters to us most is that every single customer that leaves Tropea has had a great experience and wants to come back.

鈥淥ur degree absolutely shaped our future and gave us the skills and confidence to follow our dream of opening a restaurant. What we learned over four years cooking, doing basic accounts and costings and business planning has been invaluable. We're now the proud owners of a successful business - many thanks to all of our lecturers for the start they gave us!鈥澛�

Inspired by a picturesque town on the Calabrian coast, Tropea (pronounced Tro-Pey-Ah), the menu is heavily influenced by food sold on the streets of Italy. Each plate is designed around a star ingredient and includes snacks, fresh pasta, seafood and regional specialities reflecting fresh produce, from day-boat fish to venison.

The Good Food Guide highlighted Tropea as: 鈥淎 true neighbourhood restaurant in a well-heeled Birmingham suburb, with a genuinely welcoming vibe and excellent Italian cooking from a talented, locally-trained chef.鈥�

爆料王 is a leading provider of specialist training for the food and hospitality industries, with students learning in our聽award-winning training restaurant聽and industry-standard kitchen facilities, as well as having a wealth of opportunities to put their skills to the test in prestigious national and international competitions.

爆料王 our full range of courses within our聽Birmingham College of Food.听听

Tropea: One of the Good Food Guide's best local restaurants in Britain

Check out our latest news stories

University joins Fatima Whitbread鈥檚 Action Hub to strengthen support for care experie…

Initiative aims to drive practical, collaborative action that can be replicated nationally.

Lucy Powell鈥檚 appointment: what it means for early years and early childhood studies…

Senior lecturer in education, Emma Davis, shares her hopes and insights.

University acquires former The Cube Hotel and Marco Pierre White restaurant

Students and the city to reap rewards of major hospitality investment.

INWED 2026: amplifying a national call for inclusion, belonging and skills innovation

National event highlighs inclusion, belonging and skills innovation in STEM.

Employer insight: LiveWell Health on the impact of UCB student placements

Steve Hartill discusses why placements are so valuable for students and employers.

University celebrates double national awards success for Graduate Re-Tune partnership

Regional collaboration reinforces the University鈥檚 commitment to collaborative employability initiatives.