A CULINARY enthusiast and teacher has set up his own catering business to help send teens to cookery courses.

Nick Hall, 23, has established Aroma Catering and the Aroma Catering Foundation as a means to help young people passionate about cooking to be able to follow their dreams.

Mr Hall has developed Aroma Catering, an outside catering business that allows him to make the most of his evenings, weekends and holidays by providing food services across Cumbria.

The new business owner works full time as a teacher in catering at Ulverston Victoria High School and will run the business outside of school hours.

Mr Hall, who lives in Princess Street in Broughton, said that while he loved teaching, he missed the buzz of a kitchen after having worked in The Samling in a Michelin starred kitchen.

He said: “Essentially, I worked as a chef quite briefly when I was studying my GCSEs and I had my heart set on being a chef but, with a combination of the long hours and not being able to see my friends, I lost a bit of my passion for it.

“I love teaching, but I did miss being in a kitchen and, now that I’m a bit older, I was wondering what it would be like to go and do it again.

He added: “I’m trying to get the best of both worlds by continuing to be a teacher, and the benefits that holds, but at the same time developing a business, making the use of the holiday and getting back to the exciting kitchen environment while experimenting with dishes, planning menus and maybe setting up pop-up restaurants and doing both aspects of it.

“Over the summer holidays, I established the business and it has taken off really quickly and people have been incredibly supportive and we’ve seen out bookings increase.”

Mr Hall has also established the Aroma Catering Foundation as part of his business plan that will see him funnel his profits into helping young people passionate about following a career in cookery.

He said: “I didn’t want to keep the money that we’re making, I wanted it to go to a good cause, and while there are a lot of fantastic causes, I wanted my money to help and support young people, not just in Ulverston but across Cumbria.

“The Aroma Catering Foundation’s sole purpose is to push young people into the food and drink industry and to help send Year 11s to catering college.

“Here we have Barrow College and Kendal College which have fantastic catering departments and, after speaking to my students, I found that the biggest issue they faced was transport costs.

“I’m really keen for my students not just to do catering or food at GCSE level but to follow it into later life and any who had a massive passion for it, I wanted to be able to help them pursue a career they’re passionate about.”