In November, a culinary student from our school, Ruudi Õunpuu, took part in the global Erasmus+ learning mobility program and completed a professional internship in the restaurant kitchen of The Suffolk Sur Mer LTD in England. It was a valuable experience that enhanced both his professional skills and his confidence in using a foreign language.

According to Ruudi, he was very satisfied with the learning mobility experience. During the internship, he was able to do a great deal of hands-on work—at times even more than he would have done in Estonia. He actively participated in both food preparation and customer service, which provided a good overview of the day-to-day operations of an international restaurant.

Throughout the internship, Ruudi’s skills improved in many areas of kitchen work: he learned how to shuck oysters, peel and chop vegetables, prepare French fries, sauté mussels, make various purées, and season dishes correctly. He also gained valuable knowledge about blanching and preparing roasted potatoes. His understanding of how and for how long different ingredients should be fried developed significantly. Daily communication with colleagues and customers also contributed to the improvement of his English language skills.

In addition to the professional experience, Ruudi was particularly impressed by the local culture. He describes the town as very interesting and the people as friendly and open—especially notable was how dog-friendly the area was, as dogs often accompanied their owners even in restaurants.