RESTAURANTS and hotels of the future will be strong advocates of local food - if lecturers at one York training centre have anything to do with it.

York College, one of the largest further education centres in the city, has made it its mission to showcase the quality and importance of regional goods.

Chef lecturer Karen Horseman said: "We always like to use local goods and suppliers wherever possible.

"We use them for the price, and of course because they are local, we push to the students the importance of supporting the local area, whether you are working in a small restaurant or a large hotel."

The college gives young people vocational training while they work in the industry, and encourages them to pass on the college's message to their employers.

Karen said: "We encourage them to go back to their employers and urge them to take action to support local producers.

"We are educating the students, and at the same time we hope they will push this to those in charge." It is not simply for the good of the community that the college supports the local area. Karen said: "People are getting value for money, good service, and there is definitely the right quality available from York goods."

It is a message well-received by her students.

Hugh Wayper, 17, a trainee at restaurant Tricksters Lane, Fossgate,said: "It helps people who live in York, and helps us. You can go to the supplier and see exactly what you are ordering, and you know the quality is right."

Daniel Martin, 17, from Ramada Jarvis hotels, said: "I do what I can to promote local suppliers even in a big firm like ours. The quality is just as good, and we all realise it is important to do what we can for the community."

The college scheme is being strongly supported at the regional level by the Learning and Skills Council.

Updated: 08:30 Wednesday, March 05, 2003