O Chef i Ddoctor, trwy Goleg Menai
Mae'r arbenigwr diogelwch bwyd o fri rhyngwladol, Dr Ellen Evans, yn dweud bod y coleg wedi tanio angerdd a ysgogodd ei gyrfa glodwiw
Mae Dr Ellen Evans yn brawf y gallwch gael llwyddiant gyrfaol aruthrol hyd yn oed os nad yw eich astudiaethau yn mynd yn union fel y cynlluniwyd.
Bydd llawer o bobl yn ystyried eu camau nesaf ar ôl derbyn canlyniadau arholiadau yn ddiweddar. Bydd rhai yn bwrw ymlaen â’u cynlluniau ar ôl cael y graddau roedd eu hangen arnynt, tra bydd eraill yn pendroni beth i’w wneud nesaf.
Ar ôl astudio lefelau AS am flwyddyn yn syth ar ôl ei TGAU, cafodd Ellen ei hun ar groesffordd o'r fath. Penderfynodd fod angen iddi newid cyfeiriad, a chysylltodd â Choleg Menai i holi am gyrsiau yn y celfyddydau coginio.
Digwyddodd hyn yn 2003. Ugain mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, mae Ellen yn Ddarllenydd mewn Ymddygiad Diogelwch Bwyd yng Nghanolfan Diwydiant Bwyd ZERO2FIVE Prifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd. Mae hi’n enwog yn fyd-eang am ei hymchwil, yn cyfrannu’n rheolaidd at gynadleddau rhyngwladol a chyfnodolion academaidd, ac yn aml gofynnir iddi rannu ei mewnwelediad arbenigol ar y BBC a chyfryngau cenedlaethol eraill.
Mae’n CV trawiadol – a dechreuodd y cyfan pan gafodd ei hangerdd am baratoi bwyd ei danio tra roedd yn astudio NVQ mewn Coginio Proffesiynol yng Ngholeg Menai.
“Mi gymrodd beth amser i mi sylweddoli nad oedd dychwelyd i’r ysgol yn addas i mi,” cofiodd Ellen. “Fe wnes i astudio cyrsiau Lefel AS am flwyddyn, ond wnes i ddim ei fwynhau, a doedd fy nghanlyniadau ddim yn arbennig o dda. Roedd yn benderfyniad eithaf heriol i adael hynny a mynd i mewn i rywbeth hollol wahanol.
Dr Ellen Evans is living proof you can achieve huge career success even if your studies don’t go exactly to plan.
Many people will be considering their next steps after receiving exam results recently. Some will be pressing ahead with their plans after getting the grades they needed, while others may be wondering what to do next.
After doing a year of AS levels straight from her GCSEs, Ellen found herself at such a crossroads. She decided she needed to change direction, and contacted Coleg Menai to ask about courses in the culinary arts.
That was back in 2003. Twenty years later, Ellen is a Reader in Food Safety Behaviour at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre. She is globally renowned for her research, contributes regularly to international conferences and academic journals, and is often asked to share her expert insights on the BBC and other national media.
It’s an impressive CV - and it all started when her passion for food preparation was ignited while studying an NVQ in Professional Cookery at Coleg Menai.
“It took me a long time to realise that returning to school wasn’t for me,” Ellen recalled. “I did one year at AS Level but I didn’t enjoy it, and my results weren’t particularly good. It was quite a challenging decision to leave that and go into something completely different.
Dr Ellen Evans is living proof you can achieve huge career success even if your studies don’t go exactly to plan.
Many people will be considering their next steps after receiving exam results recently. Some will be pressing ahead with their plans after getting the grades they needed, while others may be wondering what to do next.
After doing a year of AS levels straight from her GCSEs, Ellen found herself at such a crossroads. She decided she needed to change direction, and contacted Coleg Menai to ask about courses in the culinary arts.
That was back in 2003. Twenty years later, Ellen is a Reader in Food Safety Behaviour at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre. She is globally renowned for her research, contributes regularly to international conferences and academic journals, and is often asked to share her expert insights on the BBC and other national media.
It’s an impressive CV - and it all started when her passion for food preparation was ignited while studying an NVQ in Professional Cookery at Coleg Menai.
“It took me a long time to realise that returning to school wasn’t for me,” Ellen recalled. “I did one year at AS Level but I didn’t enjoy it, and my results weren’t particularly good. It was quite a challenging decision to leave that and go into something completely different.
“I eventually worked up the courage to phone Coleg Menai and ask about the culinary courses. I’d missed the deadline for applying, but they said I could go and speak to the tutors.
“They showed me around the facilities at the Friars building, and I could see there was this sense of progressing through the levels, and teaching the skills and techniques that would really help prepare somebody for a career.”
Ellen studied Level 1 and 2 Food Preparation and Cookery, as well as Level 1 and 2 Food Service, while working as a chef at The Bull in her home town of Beaumaris.
After completing her Level 3 in Professional Cookery in 2006, Ellen went to Cardiff Met to study a BSc in Food and Consumer Science - despite not having the academic qualifications she thought she would need to progress to higher education.
“They were willing to take me on based on my interest in the subject and my vocational background,” she said.
“I just loved cooking, and I took huge pride in working as a chef. I would have been content to continue working as a chef because I enjoyed it, I was good at it and the money was good, so what else would you want from a job?
“But from Coleg Menai I got this bug for learning. In school I sometimes resented learning because I felt I wasn’t good at it, but because I had such an interest in food preparation, I wanted to learn more about the science behind it.
“I didn’t know where I would end up and what I would end up doing, but I wanted to learn more about it, and that was enough of a career plan for me at 21 years old.”
After graduating with a first-class honours degree, Ellen studied a PhD in Consumer Food Safety at Cardiff Met, before joining the university’s ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre as a research assistant. Earlier this year she was made a senior research fellow, and was recently appointed Reader in Food Safety Behaviour.
Even in her work today, Ellen still remembers the lessons she learned from her lecturers at Coleg Menai, including Roger Williams, Brian Leather, Rowan Clark and Ian Drummond.
“I eventually worked up the courage to phone Coleg Menai and ask about the culinary courses. I’d missed the deadline for applying, but they said I could go and speak to the tutors.
“They showed me around the facilities at the Friars building, and I could see there was this sense of progressing through the levels, and teaching the skills and techniques that would really help prepare somebody for a career.”
Ellen studied Level 1 and 2 Food Preparation and Cookery, as well as Level 1 and 2 Food Service, while working as a chef at The Bull in her home town of Beaumaris.
After completing her Level 3 in Professional Cookery in 2006, Ellen went to Cardiff Met to study a BSc in Food and Consumer Science - despite not having the academic qualifications she thought she would need to progress to higher education.
“They were willing to take me on based on my interest in the subject and my vocational background,” she said.
“I just loved cooking, and I took huge pride in working as a chef. I would have been content to continue working as a chef because I enjoyed it, I was good at it and the money was good, so what else would you want from a job?
“But from Coleg Menai I got this bug for learning. In school I sometimes resented learning because I felt I wasn’t good at it, but because I had such an interest in food preparation, I wanted to learn more about the science behind it.
“I didn’t know where I would end up and what I would end up doing, but I wanted to learn more about it, and that was enough of a career plan for me at 21 years old.”
After graduating with a first-class honours degree, Ellen studied a PhD in Consumer Food Safety at Cardiff Met, before joining the university’s ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre as a research assistant. Earlier this year she was made a senior research fellow, and was recently appointed Reader in Food Safety Behaviour.
Even in her work today, Ellen still remembers the lessons she learned from her lecturers at Coleg Menai, including Roger Williams, Brian Leather, Rowan Clark and Ian Drummond.
“Yn y pen draw, bûm yn ddigon dewr i ffonio Coleg Menai a holi am y cyrsiau coginio. Roeddwn wedi methu’r dyddiad cau ar gyfer gwneud cais, ond dywedon nhw y gallwn fynd i siarad â’r tiwtoriaid.
“Fe wnaethon nhw ddangos y cyfleusterau yn adeilad Friars i mi, ac roeddwn i’n gallu gweld bod ymdeimlad o symud ymlaen trwy’r lefelau. Eu bod yn addysgu’r sgiliau a’r technegau a fyddai wir yn helpu i baratoi rhywun ar gyfer gyrfa.”
Astudiodd Ellen Paratoi Bwyd a Choginio Lefel 1 a 2, yn ogystal â Lefel 1 a 2 Gwasanaeth Bwyd, a hynny tra’n gweithio fel cogydd yn The Bull ym Miwmares, ei thref enedigol.
Ar ôl cwblhau Coginio Proffesiynol Lefel 3 yn 2006, aeth Ellen i Met Caerdydd i astudio BSc mewn Gwyddor Bwyd a Defnyddwyr - er nad oedd ganddi’r cymwysterau academaidd roedd hi’n meddwl y byddai eu hangen arni i symud ymlaen i addysg uwch.
“Roedden nhw'n fodlon fy nghymryd ar sail fy niddordeb yn y pwnc a fy nghefndir galwedigaethol,” meddai.
“Roeddwn i wrth fy modd yn coginio, ac roeddwn yn falch iawn o weithio fel chef. Byddwn wedi bod yn fodlon parhau i weithio fel chef oherwydd roeddwn yn ei fwynhau, roeddwn i'n dda yn y gwaith ac roedd yr arian yn dda. Beth arall fyddech chi ei eisiau o swydd?
“Brian Leather used to say a menu is composed, not written,” Ellen said. “I took it to mean that you have to work at something, to develop it, and that’s something I always think about now in my work.
“I remember Roger Williams saying you have two friends in the kitchen - Percy and Will. By that he meant perseverance and will power. Those soft disciplines are important as a chef, but can also be applied in any situation, and that’s something I emphasise to my PhD students.
“I got so much from the tutors on the course. Showing my personality and my interests was encouraged.
“It was completely different to any sort of schooling. It was practical, it was real-world skills. At that time, I wanted a course where I could learn something by doing it, and it’s what inspired me to do what I do now.
“You have to discover what you like doing to then become successful. There will be different paths that suit different people at different times in their life.
“If you enjoy it, it doesn’t feel like hard work. I don’t think I would be where I am now if it wasn’t for the time spent learning and evolving at Coleg Menai. It gave me that foundation and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Ellen’s work has brought her back in contact with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai through Food Innovation Wales, which recently announced it had delivered more than £355m of economic benefits to the Welsh food and drink industry through its Project HELIX programme.
Food Innovation Wales is a partnership between ZERO2FIVE, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Food Technology Centre in Llangefni, and Food Centre Wales in Ceredigion. The partnership delivers Project HELIX, a Welsh Government-funded initiative that has provided technical and commercial support to the food and drink sector since 2016.
Earlier this month, Project HELIX reported that since it began, it has supported 703 businesses in Wales, created 683 jobs and safeguarded a further 3,647, as well as helping to bring 2,082 new food and drink products to the market.
For more information on Food Innovation Wales, click here.
It’s not too late to apply for a place at college for the 2023-24 academic year. For more information, visit our website here.
“Brian Leather used to say a menu is composed, not written,” Ellen said. “I took it to mean that you have to work at something, to develop it, and that’s something I always think about now in my work.
“I remember Roger Williams saying you have two friends in the kitchen - Percy and Will. By that he meant perseverance and will power. Those soft disciplines are important as a chef, but can also be applied in any situation, and that’s something I emphasise to my PhD students.
“I got so much from the tutors on the course. Showing my personality and my interests was encouraged.
“It was completely different to any sort of schooling. It was practical, it was real-world skills. At that time, I wanted a course where I could learn something by doing it, and it’s what inspired me to do what I do now.
“You have to discover what you like doing to then become successful. There will be different paths that suit different people at different times in their life.
“If you enjoy it, it doesn’t feel like hard work. I don’t think I would be where I am now if it wasn’t for the time spent learning and evolving at Coleg Menai. It gave me that foundation and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Ellen’s work has brought her back in contact with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai through Food Innovation Wales, which recently announced it had delivered more than £355m of economic benefits to the Welsh food and drink industry through its Project HELIX programme.
Food Innovation Wales is a partnership between ZERO2FIVE, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Food Technology Centre in Llangefni, and Food Centre Wales in Ceredigion. The partnership delivers Project HELIX, a Welsh Government-funded initiative that has provided technical and commercial support to the food and drink sector since 2016.
Earlier this month, Project HELIX reported that since it began, it has supported 703 businesses in Wales, created 683 jobs and safeguarded a further 3,647, as well as helping to bring 2,082 new food and drink products to the market.
For more information on Food Innovation Wales, click here.
It’s not too late to apply for a place at college for the 2023-24 academic year. For more information, visit our website here.
“Ond mi ges i'r ysfa i ddysgu gan Goleg Menai. Yn yr ysgol roeddwn i weithiau’n digio wrth ddysgu oherwydd roeddwn i’n teimlo nad oeddwn i’n dda am wneud, ond oherwydd bod gen i gymaint o ddiddordeb mewn paratoi bwyd, roeddwn i eisiau dysgu mwy am y wyddoniaeth o'i gwmpas.
“Doeddwn i ddim yn gwybod ble byddwn i’n gorffen, na beth fyddwn i’n ei wneud yn y pen draw, ond roeddwn i eisiau dysgu mwy amdano, ac, yn 21 oed, roedd hynny’n ddigon o gynllun gyrfa i mi.”
Ar ôl graddio gyda gradd anrhydedd dosbarth cyntaf, astudiodd Ellen PhD mewn Diogelwch Bwyd Defnyddwyr ym Met Caerdydd, cyn ymuno â Chanolfan Diwydiant Bwyd ZERO2FIVE y brifysgol fel cynorthwyydd ymchwil. Yn gynharach eleni fe’i gwnaed yn uwch gymrawd ymchwil, ac yn ddiweddar fe’i penodwyd yn Ddarllenydd mewn Ymddygiad Diogelwch Bwyd.
Hyd yn oed yn ei gwaith heddiw, mae Ellen yn dal i gofio’r gwersi a ddysgodd gan ei darlithwyr yng Ngholeg Menai, gan gynnwys Roger Williams a Brian Leather.
“Roedd Brian Leather yn arfer dweud bod bwydlen yn cael ei chyfansoddi, nid ei hysgrifennu,” meddai Ellen. “Mi gymrais i hyn i olygu bod yn rhaid i chi weithio ar rywbeth, i'w ddatblygu, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth rydw i bob amser yn meddwl amdano nawr yn fy ngwaith.
“Rwy’n cofio Roger Williams yn dweud bod gennych chi ddau ffrind yn y gegin – Percy a Will. Wrth hynny yr oedd yn golygu dyfalbarhad (perseverance) a grym ewyllys (will power). Mae’r disgyblaethau meddal hynny’n bwysig fel chef, ond gellir eu cymhwyso hefyd i unrhyw sefyllfa, ac mae hynny’n rhywbeth rwy’n ei bwysleisio i’m myfyrwyr PhD.
“Cefais gymaint gan y tiwtoriaid ar y cwrs. Roedd dangos fy mhersonoliaeth a fy niddordebau yn cael ei annog.
“Roedd yn hollol wahanol i unrhyw fath o addysg yn yr ysgol. Roedd yn ymarferol - sgiliau byd go iawn. Bryd hynny, roeddwn i eisiau cwrs lle gallwn ddysgu rhywbeth trwy ei wneud, a dyna wnaeth fy ysbrydoli i wneud yr hyn rwy'n ei wneud nawr.
“Mae'n rhaid i chi ddarganfod beth rydych chi'n hoffi ei wneud i ddod yn llwyddiannus. Bydd yna wahanol lwybrau sy'n addas i wahanol bobl ar wahanol adegau yn eu bywyd.
"Os ydych chi'n ei fwynhau, nid yw'n teimlo fel gwaith caled. Dydw i ddim yn meddwl y byddwn i lle rydw i nawr oni bai am yr amser a dreuliais yn dysgu ac yn esblygu yng Ngholeg Menai. Rhoddodd y sylfaen honno i mi, a byddaf bob amser yn ddiolchgar am hynny.”
Mae gwaith Ellen wedi dod â hi yn ôl i gysylltiad â Grŵp Llandrillo Menai trwy Arloesi Bwyd Cymru, a gyhoeddodd yn ddiweddar ei fod wedi sicrhau mwy na £355m o fuddion economaidd i ddiwydiant bwyd a diod Cymru trwy ei raglen Prosiect HELIX.
Mae Arloesi Bwyd Cymru yn bartneriaeth rhwng ZERO2FIVE, Canolfan Technoleg Bwyd Grŵp Llandrillo Menai yn Llangefni, a Chanolfan Bwyd Cymru yng Ngheredigion. Mae’r bartneriaeth yn darparu Prosiect HELIX, menter a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru sydd wedi darparu cymorth technegol a masnachol i’r sector bwyd a diod ers 2016.
Yn gynharach y mis hwn, adroddodd Prosiect HELIX ei fod, ers iddo ddechrau, wedi cefnogi 703 o fusnesau yng Nghymru, wedi creu 683 o swyddi ac wedi diogelu 3,647 arall, yn ogystal â helpu i ddod â 2,082 o gynhyrchion bwyd a diod newydd i’r farchnad.
I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am Arloesi Bwyd Cymru, cliciwch yma.
Nid yw’n rhy hwyr i wneud cais am le mewn coleg ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd 2023-24. I gael rhagor o wybodaeth, ewch i'n gwefan.