Exeter College’s @Thirty-Four Wins National Award and showcases future of hospitality careers

Exeter College's @Thirty-Four was named AA College Restaurant of the Year for the second time in three years. Not only was it a victory for the student-led restaurant but it was a statement about the future of hospitality, and the role young people will play in shaping it. 

Exeter’s students are proving that the hospitality sector can offer meaningful, creative and rewarding careers. The award, announced at the AA Hospitality Awards 2025 in London, is seen as the highest accolade a college restaurant can achieve.

READ NEXT: Exeter Veteran Paul Vice walks 232 miles for FORCE Cancer Charity Challenge

Paul Hobden, Managing Director of People 1st International, commented: “Congratulations to Exeter College on this incredible achievement. All three finalists represent the very best of student-led hospitality and prove that the future of our industry is in safe hands.

At People 1st International, we are proud to support the colleges and educators who inspire the next generation of hospitality professionals.” 

Matthew Pickett, Deputy Head of Faculty for Hospitality, Hair & Beauty, said the recognition is "proof of the ambition and skill of our students. It shows that hospitality is not just about serving food. It is about creativity, teamwork and leadership.

Our young people are gaining the kind of experience that sets them up for successful careers, whether in Michelin-starred kitchen, as entrepreneurs, or as leaders in an industry that is constantly evolving." 

For second-year students Edie Long and Millie Wright, who represented Exeter College in front of judges earlier this year, the competition was also a platform to speak up about what matters to their generation. They addressed inclusion, diversity and wellbeing in the industry, issues they say will define its future.

Millie explained: "We talked about our own workplaces quite a lot. We included different people's experiences from the college as well. Then we went to our employers and got an interview from them, so we got different perspectives from the industry.” 

Edie added: "We talked about how we can stop toxic workplaces. We had our own experiences as well and we let that guide it quite a lot. I think the judges liked that that we weren’t just reading a script.” 

Reflecting on the win, Edie said: "I think it feels a little bit surreal to have won. I didn't necessarily think we weren't going to, we got into the top three on the day, which was great but then we had to wait for the actual awards in September, so it was surreal to realise we had done it, I've got a lot out of it." 

Millie added: “I feel like we became spokespeople for advocating for what we felt in the industry. We could use our experience to really show what we think is right.

Being able to advocate for what you think and believe in is really powerful and it's nice to feel heard and then hearing we had won made us realise they really valued what we had to say."

Both students have clear ambitions. Millie dreams of travelling the world as a private chef, while Edie hopes to open her own bakery. Their stories reflect the wide opportunities hospitality can offer to young people with the right training and support.

With Exeter College now officially home to the best college restaurant in the UK, the win sends a strong message. Hospitality can be a pathway to exciting, varied and sustainable careers. And for Exeter’s students, the journey is just beginning.