AFTER a 44-year career in the hospitality industry, including 25 years as head of catering at Craven College, John Eaton is hanging up his chef’s hat and retiring.

Over the years, he has helped to develop the college's training facilities from one basic domestic kitchen to two new modern training and production kitchens along with a brasserie restaurant, which is used by students to hone their kitchen and front-of-house skills.

He says: "I feel very fortunate to have worked at the original college campus on Skipton High Street. It is wonderful to have seen the college grow and develop into a multi-campus college with the main campus at the Aireville site - vastly different to what it was in 1983 when I started as a chef lecturer."

John has endeavoured to achieve the highest standards in his work as a lecturer, pastoral tutor and chef. He is a member of the Craft Guild of Chefs and the Professional Association for Catering Education and spent five years working with City and Guilds as an external verifier for Advanced Professional Cookery courses.

He has worked with numerous employers and catering establishments. He recalls taking some final year students down to London for interviews at the Dorchester and Savoy Hotels only to find out some years later that they held senior positions with Gordon Ramsey and Anton Edelmann.