Brian Returns to His Roots to Open Educational Exhibition

One of the city’s celebrity chefs returned to his roots to officially open an exhibition which commemorates the college where he started his culinary career.

Brian Turner CBE visited Leeds City Museum on Thursday (March 26th) to help celebrate the history and successes of his former college Leeds Thomas Danby alongside those of Leeds College of Technology and Park Lane College Leeds & Keighley as the three FE colleges move towards merging.

Brian attended the Food Technology department at Leeds Technical College, which went onto become Leeds Thomas Danby, studying a two-year general catering course from 1961-1963, where he also won a prize for his practical skills.

He has since gone on to become one of Britain’s most successful and well-known chefs. In addition to running highly respected restaurants in the UK, he is a successful television personality, appearing regularly on ‘Ready Steady Cook’, ‘This Morning’, ‘Saturday Cooks’ and ‘Saturday Kitchen’.

“It is essential that we all develop a really strong and true base on which to build our futures in whatever career we choose. The college gave me such a base, a solid foundation in the skill of cooking, I have never looked back!” Brian said.

Other famous alumni from the three colleges include writer and director Kay Mellor, her daughter actress Gaynor Faye, Spice Girl Mel B, James Crossley (Hunter from Gladiators) and cricketer Adil Rashid.

The exhibition, entitled “19th century roots, 21st century future – the Leeds Colleges’ Merger Exhibition” spans three centuries and highlights the contributions the three institutions have made to Leeds and Keighley and its people.

It features historical facts and figures, high profile events, key achievements as well as some weird and wonderful facts. Other highlights include physical exhibits on ‘100 Years of Print’ and a ‘taste’ of some of the colleges’ specialities.

Brian was amongst the first to see a special film, commissioned as part of the exhibition, which features former and current staff and students talking about their memories of the three colleges and their hopes for the future.

“19th century roots, 21st century future – The Leeds Colleges’ Merger Exhibition” opens to the public in the Thoresby Room at Leeds City Museum from Thursday, March 26th at noon-Easter Monday, April 13thth 2009. Entry is free.