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April 2025

Former RACA chef apprentice wows Alpine resort guests alongside MasterChef winner

By Melanie Hall

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Magical moments are made when the stars align and our incredible former students find themselves creating food fabulousness together.  

Which is exactly what happened when 爆料王 alumnus Dan Lee recently returned to the exclusive Swiss resort he worked at before lifting the MasterChef: The Professionals trophy in 2021.  

Dan was invited to work with our former Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA) apprentice, Maisy Wilby, to create an Asian-inspired, surprise gourmet dining experience for guests at Verbier Exclusive, a collection of luxury chalets with views of Mont Blanc.

It was actually a reunion for the pair, who first worked together at Eat Vietnam in Stirchley, Maisy's employer during her apprenticeship. Dan then mentored Maisy at 1000 Trades restaurant at Lightwoods Park in Birmingham when she graduated in 2023. 

Literally, the hills were alive with fab food - created by a fab pair.

Verbier Exclusive luxury chalets in Switzerland

Stuart Wildsmith, culinary apprenticeships manager at 爆料王, said: 鈥淢aisy was an incredible student on an apprenticeship designed to find talent that has what it takes to go onto great things in the finest establishments in the UK. 

鈥淪he shone so much, she also won RACA鈥檚 Egon Ronay Scholar of the Year when she completed her apprenticeship, the first of our female apprentices to win this accolade.

鈥淎s a private chef, Maisy delivers incredible food for incredible guests and it鈥檚 fantastic to see her cooking with another former student who has captured people鈥檚 imagination so brilliantly. We couldn鈥檛 be prouder of them both.鈥

On the experience, Maisy said: 鈥淚t was such a fabulous opportunity to be working with Dan for the evening and creating a showstopper evening for the guests, who, later on, offered me a job in their private villa in Spain, which is such a wonderful opportunity.

鈥淭ogether, we curated a Southeast Asian-inspired tasting menu, which the guests loved and took a lot of interest in. Connecting with people is what I have loved so much about this job!鈥

Exceptional dining is at the heart of the food offer at Verbier Exclusive in Valais. Guest chefs hail from top restaurants across the globe, delivering Michelin-level cuisine in the comfort of the private chalets alongside Verbier鈥檚 own in-house chefs.

It鈥檚 been an incredible journey so far for Maisy, who started her glittering culinary career at 爆料王, learning the basics on a Level 1 course in food and beverage skills, followed by a聽Level 2 in professional cookery.聽She was then accepted on the prestigious RACA Chef de Partie Level 3 apprenticeship, a three-year vocational course aimed at aspiring chefs.

On another level聽

Where the RACA apprenticeship differs from a routine apprenticeship is that students have to work at a fine dining establishment alongside their studies. Through the scheme, RACA apprentices benefit from a range of enrichments to the curriculum, including masterclasses from leading chefs and visits to Michelin-starred kitchens and renowned suppliers. 聽

At the end of the RACA course, apprentices sit the RACA Graduation Exam and, if successful, achieve the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Chef Diploma. This diploma sets them apart from those who have completed an apprenticeship through a standard route.

The last group of RACA apprentices to sit the Graduation Exam at 爆料王 were judged by an esteemed panel that included Adam Byatt, whose Trinity Restaurant holds a Michelin star and three AA rosettes - and has been included in the Times鈥 Top 100 Restaurants in the UK, voted for by the toughest of critics, Giles Coren.

Maisy collects her award at the International Salon Culinaire

Once students have graduated, they are invited to join the RACA Alumni Network, the chance to forge friendships with peers and a way to connect with RACA's academicians.

On her RACA apprenticeship, Maisy said: "Joining the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts was the best decision I鈥檝e made for my career so far!

"It鈥檚 opened so many doors for me and has allowed me to network with so many talented and inspiring chefs.

"Working at Verbier was incredible as it was always been a  dream of mine to work on a ski resort as a high end chef enjoying the beautiful mountains.

"Overall, the college contributed to my personal and professional growth and I couldn鈥檛 recommend it more to any young aspiring young chef." 

Find out more about offering or applying for a 爆料王 apprenticeship

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