Category Archives: Student blogs

A guide to food and drink in Shelton

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by Walter Vundla (international student)

PAK FOODS  

PAK FOODS is a supermarket that offers a variety of international products. It first opened in 1989 as a convenience store under the name Pricewise in Lenton, Nottingham and then changed to PAK FOODS in 1996.  

The Stoke-on-Trent, Shelton branch opened in 2007. The organisation offers ethnic, hard-to-find and great tasting foods (parkfoods.net, 2023). The products are at an affordable price as the concept of value is important to the consumers and the organisation. The store is located at 50 Stoke Road, Shelton, ST24 2QX. The store is opened Monday to Saturday from 08:30am to 20:00pm and from 11:00am to 17:00pm on Sundays.  

Pak Foods on the Stoke Road – fresh veg, meat and lots more

Product Range 

Meat and Poultry  

PAK Foods sell quality fresh meat and poultry and has had excellent prices for at least 10 years. PAK Foods offers 100% Halal meat and poultry and believes in quality, value, and an exceptional customer service. All the meat suppliers are carefully chosen, and local suppliers are chosen wherever possible. PAK Foods also offer marinated chicken and other selected meats ready for either barbecues or making a tasty meal.  

 Fruit and Vegetables  

All the fruits and vegetables are delivered daily to ensure quality and its freshness. PAK Foods prides itself at having a vast range that are rarely found in other supermarkets. Fruits like sweet Pakistani mangoes, Greek watermelon, Mirabelle plum, India cactus figs, yellow dragon fruits and many others. Vegetables like, kale, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, yellow pumpkin, green pumpkin, okra, chilli, and other products. PAK Foods is always on the lookout for some ways to improve on its local suppliers.  

World Foods 

PAK Foods has food ingredients to cover most of the worlds famous recipes. Herbs, spices, and sauces to bring the recipes to life and the taste that the consumers may need. A fantastic range of Asian, African, Europeans and Mediterranean to choose from depending on a consumer taste. Other world foods include, Basmati and Tilda rice, Iwisa maize meal.  

Hair products 

PAK Foods also has hair products suitable for all types of hair.  

Contact details 

Telephone – 01782 749555 

Instagram – @pakfoods_official   Facebook – @PAK FOODS     

Website – pakfoods.net  Email – stokeontrent@pakfoods.net  

Chaiiwala  

Chaiiwala is food and drink restaurant that offers a variety of cuisines. However, it is known for its Karak Chaii tea that has made the brand to be known globally. The organisation was found in 1927 on the streets of New Delhi. It has 100 years of history and tradition (chaiiwala.co.uk, 2023). Chaiiwala has over 50 stores across the UK (United Kingdom) and has potential to expand. The organisation is on its way to become a global brand with franchise opportunities around the world (chaiiwala.co.uk, 2023).  

Chaiiwala differentiate itself through not compromising on quality and service. The committed has enabled the organisation to become a brand and be one of the fastest growing businesses. The Stoke-on-Trent branch is in Shelton, 119 College Road, ST4 2EE. The store is open Monday to Friday from 08:30am to 00:00am and Saturday and Sunday from 09:00 to 00:00am. Consumers can order food and get them delivered to their home.  

Chaiiwala Menu  

Hot Drinks  

Karak Chaii – it is a well brewed strong tea. Can be served in regular or large. It is gluten free and suitable for vegetarians.  

Pink Chaii – it is a creamy, milky pink tea with aromatic spices.  

Mint Tea – black tea with fresh mint leaves.  

English Tea – the everyday cup with a splash of milk.  

Cold Drinks  

Mango Falooda – mango milkshake with ice cream.  

Limbu Pani – a cloudy refreshing lemon drink. 

Iced Karak Chaii – strong brewed tea with ice and caramel  

Iced Karak Coffee – Milky coffee with ice and caramel  

All Day Breakfast 

Desi Breakfast – Masala omelette with masala beans, daal or chana with your choice of two classic rotis/parathas/toast and a karak chaii or karak coffee.  

English-Ish Breakfast – masala omelette with masala beans, two lamb bacon rasher, two sausages, and two slices of toast.  

Omelette Wrap – Fresh masala omelette wrapped in a classic roti.  

Shakshuka – Soft running eggs in tomato and onion curry, served with flaky paratha perfect for dipping.  

The menu has a variety of other foods and dessert that consumers can enjoy. Street food like vegetarian kebab roll, masala chips, Mumbai Mac ‘N’ Cheese. Meals can be served as vegan or vegetarian, depending on the consumer’s choice.  

Contact details  

Telephone – 01782 498749    Instagram – @chaiiwala   Facebook – @Chaiiwala Twitter – @chaiiwala 

Hawasana Afghan Cuisine  

Hawasana Afghan Cuisine is an online takeaway delivery service and a dine in restaurant that is based in Stoke-on-Trent. The restaurant’s mission is to bring value for money for money, services, and food, However, the restaurant is working on improving its services in Staffordshire.  

Hawasana offers a wide range of starters, kebabs, rice, drinks, desserts, biryani, and many other cuisines that may be of interests to consumers. The Stoke-on-Trent branch is based at 77 Stoke Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2HQ. The restaurant opens Monday to Sunday from 14:00pm to 23:00pm.  

Hawasana Afghan menu  

Starters  

Starters include Tandoori Mix Kebab, Lamb Tikka Kebab, Chicken Tika Kebab, Koffta Kebab, Bolani and many others to choose from.  

Mains 

Qabuli Pilau – A mixture of lamb or chicken, rice, sultanas, and carrots which are cooked in a steamed dish to give it a special flavour and taste.  

Qurma Pilau – Boiled rice steamed with a touch of oil and cumin to give a delicious taste, served with any qurma dish.  

Pacha Pilau Special – this dish is served with pilau and fresh salad.  

Afghan Traditional  

8 Pcs Mantoo – steamed pasta filled with mince, onion, and herbs, served with special sauce.  

Shorba – lamb, potato, and carrot soup. A simple and tasty dish Afghan Shorba served with naan bread.  

Half Kg Lamb Karahi – Slowly cooked in our special spice, fresh tomatoes, green chilli, garlic served with fresh naan bread.  

One Kg Chicken Karahi – Slowly cooked in our special spice, fresh tomatoes, green chilli, garlic served with fresh naan bread. 

One Kg Lamb Kahari – Slowly cooked in our special spice, fresh tomatoes, green chilli, garlic served with fresh naan bread. 

Kebabs (in Afghan style)  

Choppan Kebab (on the bone), Lamb tikka kebab, koffta kebab, chicken garlic and pepper kebab, tandoori mix kebab and 5-piece lamb chop.  

https://www.hawasana.net/storemenu this is link to the restaurant menu.  

Contact details  

Facebook – @Hawasana Afghan Cuisine Telephone – 01782911141 

Here’s a detailed review of Hawasana by Moorlands Eater (the best food blogger in the area) – note it is from 2019 so prices have probably changed a bit

Rice N 3 

Rice N 3 is a restaurant based in Stoke-on-Trent that sells Indian street food. Rice N 3 strive to improve their services and quality so that they can provide an exceptional customer experience. Consumers can order their food online and be delivered to their homes. This is a new development to make consumers to order and get their food delivered. Rice N 3 also offers affordable prices. 

The restaurant is in Shelton, 78 Ashford Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2EN. It is a walking distance from the campus and from the train station. It is opened Monday to Saturday from 12:00pm to 22:00pm and closed on Sundays. 

Rice N 3 menu  

Rice N 3 – rice and any three of the curries freshly cooked (lamb on bone, chicken on bone with spinach, tarka Dall, mixed vegetable jalfrezi, keema and peas and boneless chicken Kahari.  

Desi thug munch box – Comes on naan bread, 2 Seekh kebabs, 2 meat samosas, chips, sizzling chicken tikka and donner, salad and sauce of your choice and two drinks.  

Fully Loaded fries – can choose from any combination of your choice.  

Authentic biryani – can choose from meat samosas, vegetable samosas, kebab chaat, keema biryani, vegetable pakora portion.  

https://foodhub.co.uk/stoke-on-trent/Rice-N-3/ordernow this link will take you to the FOODHUB where they can see the menu. 

Contact details  

Telephone – 01782911323  Facebook @Rice N 3   Instagram @rice_n_3 

Other Places on Campus 

The Catalyst kitchen – it is in the Catalyst building and it offers hot drinks, salads, soup, shakes and smoothies, jacket potatoes, etc.  

In the Catalyst Building, Leek Road campus

Verve – it is in LRV, opposite the Catalyst building. It offers a wide range of foods and alcoholic beverages as well.  

The Verve on Leek Road Campus – student union

Ember lounge – it is next to the Student Union building in College Road.  

Ember Lounge, Stoke Road campus

Pavilion – it is in College Road. It offers burritos and wraps.   

Pavilion on College Road

Squeeze Box, College Road drinks and snacks

Squeeze Box, College Road campus

Sweet and Spice – It is a takeaway shop based 128 Boughey Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2BB.  

Sweet and Spice – Leek Road

Hanley Park: an oasis next to the Staffordshire University campus

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by Walter Vundla (recent international student)

Hanley Park is one of Stoke-on-Trent’s heritage parks, it is close to the university and you can walk through it to the city centre. The park underwent a multi-million-pound restoration after a successful bid for £4.5 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund in 2015 (visitstoke.co.uk, 2023). The restored facilities include public art sculptures, lake and fountains, boathouse, pavilion and floodlit sports zone for football tennis, basketball, and hockey.

Lots of all weather pitches in the Park for football, tennis, basketball, and cricket

The park is found in Shelton, Cleveland Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 4DX. It is within a 10 minute walking distance from the Stoke-on-Trent train station. It is a 5-minute walk from the university campus on College and Leek Road. There are two car parks near the park for the public’s convenience, named Hanley Park Northern Car Park, The Parkway and Hanley Park Southern Car Park, Ridgway Road. Then there is Cannon PI car park which is about 13 minutes’ walk to the park.

Sports Zone

Hanley Park sports zone include artificial football pitch, four tennis courts, basket court and cricket wickets with nets. On every Saturday at 9am, Vitality parkrun holds a 5km run where anyone can register and take part.

Every Sunday morning, there is a group of people that meet up and play football. They play from 9am till around 12pm. Anyone is welcome to join as the group is very welcoming.

Community Hub

The community hub is open Monday to Thursday from 0830am to 1500pm. However, open day vary due to the weather. The community hub supplies activities for both children and adults.

Community hub

Hanley Vitality Parkrun

It is a friendly, free and fun 5km community event that participants can walk, jog, run or volunteer to help to ensure that the event is a success every week. It is free to join in, however, one will have to register before attending the event. Once registered with parkrun, a scannable barcode will be issued so that you can get results after the run. You can run without the barcode, but you will not be able to get your finish time sent over to your email.

The entire event is organised by volunteers. If one wants to volunteer at one of the events, they can email: hanley@parkrun.com to help. All help is acceptable as there are marshals to guide and encourage everyone that takes part. All the volunteers are friendly and welcoming to everyone. The participants are also friendly and encouraging as well. It is easy to network and make friends as everyone is friendly and willing to have a conversation.

Park Run in Hanley

Parkrun social media platforms

Facebook Parkrun UK – Twitter Parkrun UK Instagram Parkrun Youtube Parkrun

Art in the Park

Entrance to the park at the top of Boughey Road

A canal runs through Hanley Park and you can walk or cycle out of the city on it

There’s three play areas for different age children in the Park
Lots of play space

Rope pyramid and zip line also available

Facebook group for the Park

A successful digital marketing placement at Middleport Pottery

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by Tselmeg Bat-Erdene (international student on the MSc in Digital Marketing Management)

One of the great opportunities Staffordshire University offers is an encouragement to develop practical skills. I, a postgraduate student of the MSc Digital Marketing Management, had the opportunity to test my skills at a workplace during my 4 month work placement module. With the help of our course lecturers, I had the chance to complete my work placement at Middleport Pottery, an industrial heritage site and one of the hidden gems in Stoke-on-Trent.

Main entrance to the site

Stoke-on-Trent is known to be an industrial area focusing on Pottery. Middleport Pottery, a Grade II* listed heritage site, stands out from any other visitor site as it is the UK’s last working Victorian pot bank, which is still operating in the original building of 130 years. Middleport Pottery is managed by Re-Form Heritage, an independent charity that specializes in the restoration and rejuvenation of heritage buildings at risk.

Working at Middleport Pottery has given me a chance to challenge various skill sets, such as beginner’s web development, data analysis, basic photography, and social media skills etc. In the first few weeks of starting my placement, I researched what our competitors are working on and how we can match up their levels of digital exposure. The Middleport Pottery website hasn’t been updated after the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore I have added new information, along with improving the SEO of each page and restructuring the layout of the website to be more user-friendly. Also, I have created and updated the former interactive map, which lacked information on the newly added part of the heritage tour, the Regeneration of Harper Street.

Several creative businesses are on the site

Middleport Pottery is not only a visitor attraction but also offers many services like venue hire, different activities and events happening every other weekend. It has allowed me to try different methods of promoting Middleport Pottery on social media. You can keep up with our events here or sign up to our newsletter here

Tselmeg is far right with the other volunteers and workers

Middleport Pottery has been and is a welcoming environment full of great colleagues, volunteers, and visitors. My work placement has been a great experience – working on new challenges every week with Middleport Pottery has allowed me to put into practice what I have learnt on the course. The warm welcome from the team has been a good motivation to achieve more during my placement.

It is my pleasure to give a big shout-out to Middleport Pottery, full of a unique experience for anyone to visit, enjoy the history and culture of Stoke-on-Trent, and enjoy a famous oatcake by the canal side.

Tselmeg Bat-Erdene

Instagram – Facebook – Twitter – for Middleport Pottery

International student Walter Vundla provides hints and tips for new students

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by Walter Vundla (recent International student)

Having been born in Zimbabwe and moving to South Africa at an early age with my family to seek a better life, we faced a lot of adversity. Having to adapt to diverse cultures and getting used to different school syllabuses was a challenge. I was in grade 6 which is equivalent to Year 6. The teaching systems were completely different, languages were different (only one was similar which is Ndebele and Zulu) as South Africa has 11 official languages. I had to learn at least the basics of other languages to be able to communicate with other people which was a lesson I was determined to learn.  

Walter on graduation day

We then moved to the UK (United Kingdom) on a family reunion visa in 2014 August. It was around 1pm when we landed at Birmingham Airport and we were welcomed by cold rainy weather which I was not used to. We were then told that this was the summer!

It took some time to get used to the weather and to be honest, at times I still feel like I have not yet adapted to the weather yet. I only had about two weeks to enrol at college and one week to get ready to start a new academic journey in the UK. It was overwhelming. However, the four academic years I spent at college went by fast and soon I found myself applying for university. The first tip I would give to international student is to come prepared for the wet weather, especially towards the end of September to January.  

I knew I wanted to go to Staffordshire University and made sure that it was my first preference. I studied Business Management from 2018 to 2022 where I obtained a 2:1 (Upper second class) and was the first grandchild to graduate in my family. I received a lot of help throughout the academic years especially my last year with my dissertation. University resources and lectures were always available when I needed to use them or needed help. The second tip for the student is, make sure that you attend the sessions in the first few weeks of the academic year as the layout and introduction of the courses will be given out. These will also help you to meet the lecturers and get to know them as it will make it easier to ask for help.

The third tip is, attend all the Welcome Week activities, if possible. It is a chance to network with other students and make friends with people from different courses and backgrounds. Having diverse friendships can provide a deeper level of support to help with any challenges that one may face.  

In 2016 I joined Stafford Town FC where I spent at least five years playing as a semi professional football player. While at Stafford Town FC I was named the vice-captain of the team and later became captain. I was voted the management player of the year, we won a league cup and got promoted to the league above. I then stopped playing football to focus on my last year of university as I looking to obtain good grades. The fourth tip is, join student union as there are activities that one can partake in throughout the academic year.  

Walter played as semi pro whilst here

The fifth and final tip I would give is, make sure that all assignments are submitted on time and not left to the last minute. This will give you enough time to ask the lecturers to scan through the assignments and give you some feedback to point you to the right direction.

You might also be interested in these blogs

Advice from a Lecturer who was once an international student

Useful websites and social media for Stoke and Staffordshire

Find out more about our courses here

In-depth advice for International student think of studying at Staffordshire University

 

Advice from a once International Student who is now a Lecturer to International Students

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by Dr Itoro Ekpo

After my first degree in Nigeria, my next step was to proceed with a Master’s degree and UK was my first and only choice. Before coming to the UK, the only country I had visited was South Africa. Although that is an African country, I still had the culture shock, for example, their cars are right-hand drive, and the weather was very cold. Let’s proceed to me arriving the UK for my Masters; the first thing that greeted me was the cold weather in October and the confusion on how to cross the road. Regarding the weather, South Africa was a learning ground for me. First advice for students, come prepared with winter wears because the weather will be cold for those starting in September or January.

Dr Itoro Ekpo –

In my first class, I addressed my lecturer as Sir, and he told me to call him Nick. I was shocked by that because back home you are not allowed to call your lecturer by name. Now as a lecturer in a UK University, I understand when student address me as Ma or anything else because I was once in their shoes. I encourage them to address me by my first name. Some students tend to adjust immediately, while some can’t just accept it. The second advice for the students is it is okay to call your lecturers/tutor/teacher by their first name and you will not be penalised. For academics, don’t be fussy about how you are addressed as the international students are from different environments, give them time and grace.

I resumed late for my MSc programme; hence, I needed all the support to be able to submit my first formative assessment but what did I do? I went to my colleagues for help, although my lecturers had told me to contact them for support since they were aware that I resumed late. I submitted my first assessment, and the feedback made me realise that my writing style needed to change, I needed to be critical and avoid copy and paste. I realised that I had a long way to go as I was use to producing what I was taught word for word and give back what I read from a textbook or article word for word without paraphrasing. The third advice for students is never copy and paste as you will be penalised, you need to paraphrase your work to avoid plagiarism. Now as a lecturer, I encourage students from the first class to start the practice of paraphrasing because they can easily plagiarise their assessment.

One of the comments on my first feedback was to ask for support from the tutor. While I was trying to figure out how I was going to approach my tutors for support I was surprised when one of them requested to see me after the class and mentioned that he had still not received my support session request. This made me realise that the necessary support is there, but I just needed to ask and that my tutors are approachable. The fourth advice is, always ask for help and do not leave it to the last minute (submission deadline)

All work and no play makes Itoro a dull girl. I signed up for school trips and networking events on campus to widen my network and make friends with people from other cultures. As a lecturer, I noticed that international students tend to walk and work with colleagues from the same country. Final advice is get out of your comfort zone and make friends with people from other countries. The new friend may be the person that will take your project/ work/ business to the next level. Expand your circle but ensure to do that wisely.

Other articles that may interest you

How Staffordshire University is a top choice for international students by Onkar Chavan

Interesting places in Stoke on Trent for an international student to visit by Onkar Chavan

Business Warfare with Francis Jackson

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Tom Lovelock, Visitor Attraction and Resort Management Student

On 13th May 2022, second year students from the Visitor Attraction and Resort Management course at Staffordshire University attended an engaging business strategy talk at Alton Towers from the General Manager, Francis Jackson.

This honest review talk and Q & A from Francis is part of the students strategy module with the university. Alton Towers and Staffordshire University have a successful partnership which is 6 years strong, and this talk is just one of the many opportunities the students get.

Francis started the meeting by giving brief information about his career background and history. He explained about his transfer from a humble Ski Resort in Australia to the theme park giant that is Alton Towers. Francis believes that Merlin is a “Juggernaut in the visitor attraction industry”, but what gives them the competitive advantage?

The group was taught how important the delivery of the Merlin product can be to being one step ahead of competition. From guest experience and satisfaction to how immersive and impressive the theme park looks, Francis covered how important these high standards are to staying on top. However, he also explained how the core values of the company can sometimes get lost. For Alton Towers, ‘joyful’ should be the absolute minimum that guests get out of their day.

Merlin is primarily driven through marketing and Francis revealed to students just how competitive the tourism industry can get. “Business isn’t cozy” – (Francis Jackson 2022) Gaining the competitive advantage can be brutal, companies can use aggressive war-like tactics to overwhelm their competitors. For Alton Towers: third parties, new and innovative products and tactical marketing are all major factors in their strategy to stay on top and be a world class destination.

As the talk came to a close, Francis gave some advice for students as future leaders. Tourism is one big turf war and Francis let students know this. He explained how academic studies and knowledge mixed with heart and passion will make for amazing opportunity and can take you anywhere you want to go.

Volunteering at the Stone Food Festival

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By Grace Hurst L6 Events Management student

As the first weekend of October approaches, it’s not just the locals who anticipate The Stone Food and Drink Festival every year. After going virtual in 2020, with no live events taking place at all, it was a pleasure to volunteer at this year’s 2021 festival. Volunteering opportunities have been sparse over the last 18 months and many small businesses have taken a huge hit, meaning many events need all the help they can get, so I’m here to talk about my experience and how to get involved as an event volunteer yourself!

Stone Food and Drink Festival is located at Westbridge park in Stone and has been running since 2004. It’s a not-for-profit community event that supports local businesses, giving them a platform to showcase what they do and providing a fun filled event celebrating all things food and drink. The festival has a wide range of options to suit anyone, from local craft beers and liqueurs to street food and desserts in the Gourmet Marquee (which can all be enjoyed alongside volunteering!).

Grace (centre) in the Chefs demonstration tent
Grace (centre) in the Chefs demonstration tent

I represented Staffordshire University as an event marshal and as a third-year events management student. I spent the majority of the day networking with local businesses in and around Stone or helping out at the Demonstration Kitchen and the Talks and Tastings tent. This included encouraging guests to join the live events in each tent, handing out samples and being a friendly face for attendees to approach and ask general questions to.

The vendors and organisers were grateful to have a helping hand on the day and it was a lot of fun being able to watch demonstrations from business owners and to gain an insight to what an event looks like behind the scenes.

Tent
There is a huge amount of cover at the festival which means even with rain people can have a great time
Flamin’ Rooster is just one of many great food stalls at the event

Small Business Spotlight

  • Joules –Joules Brewery are the main sponsor for the festival, who have recently opened a new venue called The Crown Wharf which opened in July 2021 and is located on Crown Street in Stone. The taphouse has become extremely popular with locals due to the friendly staff, lively atmosphere and of course, great beer! The new project also aims to bring a community theatre to the establishment calledThe Crown Wharf Theatre as there is currently no purpose-built event space in Stone where local arts and community groups can join to enhance their creativity and passions. They are looking for volunteers here.
  • Ten Green Bottles – Ten Green Bottles is a gin and craft beer bar who currently have two venues in Newcastle-Under-Lyme and Stone. The business attended the festival to talk the latest drink trends alongside Stafford Distillery, sharing their knowledge of quality cocktails and recommending the best ingredients. As well as handing out samples of their cocktail containing lychee gin infused with passionfruit liqueur and tonic (yum!), they also had a pop-up bar and a stall to purchase their products from. To check out all things cocktail, visit their websites linked.
Gin bar
Gin bar

Community events such as this one are so rewarding to volunteer at, as well as being a lot of fun to be a part of, particularly for students interested in areas such as events management like myself. At the event I gained valuable experience to put into practice at future events I either volunteer at or host myself and am looking forward to the next project! If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer for next year or just want to attend yourself as a guest, visit Stone Food and Drink Festival’s website

If you’re a student at Staffordshire University looking for volunteer opportunities ask your tutors and try the Careers service

Get in touch with Grace through her linkedin profile

Beth’s guide to Stoke and Staffordshire

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By Beth Bairstow-Morris

Staffordshire University is my home university, and, in September, I’ll be heading into my third and final year of BA (Hons) Events Management. Having lived in Staffordshire for almost all my life, I’ve tried and tested the best places for students to eat, drink and visit, and I’m here to tell you all about them!

Let’s start with some on-campus student union run facilities and the two favourite hangouts for my uni friends and I: Ember Lounge and Squeeze Box. Ember Lounge serves classic pub food and drinks and is the perfect place to spend a break from studying or grab some food with friends after a day of lectures. Squeeze Box is my favourite place to head for a bite to eat in the morning, along with either a takeout coffee or one of their infamous freshly squeezed orange juices or smoothies!

Lots of individual shops as well as events and gardens to see at Trentham Gardens
Lots of individual shops as well as events and gardens to see at Trentham Gardens

Moving on, we have the lovely Trentham Estate, an important local attraction to mention for many reasons. Firstly, their Event Volunteer programme, if nobody has told you already, it won’t be long before your lecturers and industry pros are emphasising the importance of volunteering to gain experience ready for your placement and graduate job applications, whatever course you’re taking. Trentham have a fantastic volunteer programme and last year I successfully applied and have worked on several events including the Christmas Fairy Lights experience, the summer concerts and market research for Trentham Live 2022!

With so many events, restaurants and attractions on offer, Trentham Estate is a great place to head for a day or evening out with friends and a fantastic place to catch up with family when they come to visit. Who wouldn’t love a trip to the Monkey Forest to get away from assignments for a while!? There’s even a Premier Inn on site you can recommend to your parents so they don’t have to crash in your flat!

A few weeks back, I headed to The Crepe & Waffle House in the Shopping Village for a catchup with my Aunty, which certainly suited both our sweet tastes!

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are filled with arts and culture, so what better place to take you to next than the Cultural Quarter in Hanley? Piccadilly and the surrounding area are home to a variety of entertainment venues including The Regent Theatre, showcasing phenomenal touring productions, and The Sugarmill, a great place to head to for local music and small gigs, as well as some great restaurants and cafes like The Slamwich Club and The Quarter.

  • Just two of many nice places to eat in the city centre
  • Bring your appetite
  • Inside the Quarter

Most recently, I visited The Quarter for lunch with my friend. Their menu is split into a Daytime Menu and an Evening Menu and the range of options is HUGE, with traditional classics, all-day breakfast and brunch and even Mediterranean style platters! I ordered the egg and salmon sourdough from the all-day brunch menu and my friend had the battered cod with chunky chips from the selection of main dishes. (My friend said she was still dreaming of the battered cod days later!)

Just a little further along in the Cultural Quarter, you’ll find the Mitchell Arts Centre, a small local theatre with a Café-Bar and even a dance studio and meeting rooms to hire. As someone who’s heavily involved in the local amateur theatre scene, I’ve spent a LOT of time here: watching performances, taking part in performances and volunteering (yes, more volunteering!) as Marketing & Events Officer for Stoke Amateur Theatre Society.

  • The Mitchell Arts Centre
  • The Regent Theatre

Last but not least, it would be incredibly remiss of me to not mention the UK’s largest theme park, the Alton Towers Resort. Of course, this is a GREAT place to have right on your doorstep, whether that’s for a thrilliant day out with friends or for some fantastical escapism with the family when they visit. You can find some great student offers on admission here!

It’s also a great place to work as student, with plenty of seasonal opportunities on offer, particularly if you are studying Events Management or Visitor Attraction & Resort Management. I currently work as a Team Leader on the Guest Excellence Team and have gained invaluable experience and loved every minute of working at the Resort!

For Events in Autumn 2021 have a look at Jon Fairburn’s blog by clicking here

University wide clearing – 0800 590 830

Courses available in clearing at the Business School

Call our friendly team of Clearing experts on 0800 590 830 who are on hand to support you through the process, or sign up to one of our free events: www.staffs.ac.uk/clearing

The ‘Fantabulous’ Francis Jackson

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Deon Wong, Visitor Attraction and Resort Management Student

On Wednesday 24th March 2021, Year 1 & 2 Fda Visitor Attraction and Resort Management Students (VARM) attended a virtual Q&A with extra special guest Francis Jackson (Alton Towers Resorts Operations Director). The meeting enabled students to ask Francis on all things Alton Towers, specifically his journey, COVID impacts, new role and advice on how to be successful within the industry. I (Deon Wong), one of the VARM students, was given the opportunity to become the master of ceremonies and lead the Q&A.

Francis Jackson began the Q&A by giving us a brief background history into his experience, from working at Australia’s Falls Creek Ski Lifts as the Director of Snowsports to being the beloved Operations Director at Alton Towers. He has a solid belief in transferring his knowledge gained and sharing them with his team to make them bigger and better. Francis expressed his huge heart towards Alton Towers and how he enjoys the customer focus moments, where he has built relationships to improve the customer journey. He regrets not having time to be out there with the customers and staff due to his administrative role.

Moving into the 2021 season, ATR aims to deliver a ‘thrilliant’ season of celebrations and fun. With an increase in footfall, new safety regulations are introduced to adhere to the safety guidelines. Francis mentioned various new additions to accompany guests’ safety and capacity, from utilising the lawn space, new ride openings, temporary flat rides, and monorail adjustments. Maintaining a ‘fantabulous’ presentation and customer journey is a massive priority for Francis. From ensuring cigarettes and chewing gum are picked up to repainting areas. Francis states it’s all about the “pursuit of guest excellence for the guest journey “- (Francis Jackson, 2021).

Francis Jackson discussed his new role as general manager. With over 30 years of experience in the leisure industry, he’s driven to make the customer journey and experience better. He understands change is always good, as businesses can’t stay static. They have to adapt, change and constantly move forwards to progress. He’s a firm believer in achieving an outstanding organisation by refocusing on corporate social responsibility, diversity and inclusion. Within his new role as general manager, he’s accountable for all things COVID related, capacity and having the final say in difficult decisions.

Lastly, Francis Jackson passed on specific advice on how to be successful within the leisure industry. From knowing your product, listening to guest feedback and continuously pushing the product your offering to entice guests. One advice he advises is for people to be authentic and be true to themselves; once you divert and create a fake facade, issues will arise. It’s important to feel confident and ensure you have questions to ask, as It’s constantly a lesson of growth and development.

#ProudtToBeStaffs
#VARM
#LifelongLearning
#SeekingOpportunities
#FantabulousFrancisJackson
#Inspirational
#StayVARM
#VARMtastic

My Journey

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Simon Hughes, BA (Hons) Business Management student

The journey began back in 2017, I decided to start studying the business management degree at Staffordshire University. I knew that this journey was going to include unexpected learning strategies and unknown situations. One of the main challenges was when I got the diagnosis of having dyslexia, I knew that there was something not right regarding my reading, writing and spelling. With having dyslexia, I knew that I would need extra support. The university study skills had helped by supporting me in how I needed to process the information and to give me a better understanding of how I retained the information. When I came to start my first assignment, I felt like this was a setback as I was unsure of if I had completed it correctly. When the results came out, I saw that I had passed, and it reassured me that I could pass my first year. I feel like I was able to do this as I had the support of my university lecturers Hazel Squire and Vicky Roberts, as well as my friends and my family. There were many times within that year where I was very close to giving up, this was due to how challenging I was finding it to believe in myself. However, after I had spoken to the lecturers and my family about how I was feeling, they gave me the support and said that I can do this, this gave me the boost to keep moving forward which resulted in completing the first year without having to resit any of the module subjects, this gave me a great relief.

Going in to the second year, I was feeling very anxious and apprehensive as I did not know if the year was going to be too much for me and if I was going to be able to meet the deadlines on time. The subjects were different from the ones I took in my first year in both semester one and semester two, however I was able to meet the deadlines on time. During the end of semester two I was diagnosed with a condition called PPPD (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness), this made it more difficult to focus on my assignment as I was not able to look at a computer screen for days on end due to it giving me migraines and dizziness. This condition made me feel like I could not get my assignments in on time which resulted in me nearly giving up. However, as the year progressed, I managed to hand in my assignments even though I do not know how. I had a push of support from my wife and my supportive lecturers Paul Dobson and Bharati Singh, just to name a few. They told me that I had come too far to give up now, this took place just before I had received my results for the second semester of the second year however I found out my hard work had paid off and that I had passed.

When going into my third and final year, the first semester was a challenge due to my migraines and not being able to concentrate for a long period of time, however I still had the support of all the lecturers. During the second semester, the world was hit with Covid 19, this meant that everyone had to engage in social distance learning which made it more difficult for me as I was not able to spend a lot of time looking at the computer screen. This situation was difficult as the rest of the year was uncertain, I did not know whether I would be able to make it to the end of my final year. Even though I was not able to see my lecturers face to face I was able to have a video meeting with them if I needed their support on the lectures or the assignments. They encouraged me to get through my assignments and to get them handed in so that I could fully complete the last year of my three-year degree.


Click here for more information on Dyslexia and how we can support you at Staffordshire University