Champagne moment for hospitality students

She and fellow Edge Hotel School student Katie Renwick raised a glass after they were each awarded £1,000 from Moet & Chandon, one of the largest producers of champagne in the world.

Elysabeth, 21, and Katie, 20, from Darlington, were selected for the accolade after applying as part of their degree in hospitality and hotel management.

They were invited to a training day at the champagne house’s offices in London, where they were introduced to a selection of champagnes, including Moet Ice Impérial, the only champagne especially created to be enjoyed over ice.

Pierre Darquey, account manager at Moet & Chandon, showed them how to differentiate between the textures and tastes of different varieties and how to correctly serve the popular celebratory drink.

Elysabeth said she was looking to forge a career in hotel management and hospitality.

She added: “I hope this link with such a well-known and respected name will give me something extra. It’s been a really interesting and fantastic experience.”

Mr Darquey said the scholarship was developed to support a hospitality student at the University of Essex.

He added: “We look for young professionals who aspire to achieve the highest levels in their academic studies and have a real passion for a career in the industry.”

The Edge Hotel School is based at the university in Colchester and runs two-year degree programmes in hotel management and events management with hospitality.