NEWS Since the start of the Gastronomy programme in 2013, the School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts has grown out of its premises. The student have doubled and the plan to offer second and third cycle education requires an extension of both kitchen and restaurant at Umeå University.
In autumn 2013, the Umeå University School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts changed its first-cycle study programmes and is since that reform working towards creating a complete offering with first, second and third cycle education. This means that development takes place on all levels. When three classes are registered in the system at the same time in the relatively new Gastronomy programme, the premises are under a lot of pressure.
As a result of the expansion, another kitchen and restaurant is therefore necessary – and one in which the interior fittings can satisfy the needs of research ventures in conjunction with practical elements of both first and second cycle education as well.
“With new and bigger premises, we are able to be more flexible in planning our courses and we can give students more time for practical training, which is something that we have lacked in today’s kitchen. We will also gain access to a kitchen and restaurant for the duration of the entire semesters, which we do not have at present as the Food and nutrition programme has the kitchen at their disposal for the latter part of the autumn term. In future, there will be more premises for us to share,” says Ute Walter, director of the Umeå University School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts.
The cost of a new kitchen and restaurant for education and a new lab for drinks and chemistry is estimated at SEK 10 million. Half of that is funded centrally by Umeå University and the other half if split between the Faculty of Social Sciences and its underlying departments.
Discussions have been held with the Faculty Board since autumn 2012 and the suggested extension was pushed through by the Vice-Chancellor on 29 March 2016. The completion of the premises is estimated to spring term 2017.
School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts on umu.se
School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts on Facebook (in Swedish)
Ute Walter, director of the School of Restaurant and Culinary ArtsPhone: +46 90 786 71 91, +46 72 516 71 91
Email: ute.walter@umu.se
Editor: Anna Lawrence