Inside Our Internship Network: Visiting HRC Students Across the Netherlands

Last week, our Internship & Community Relations Manager – Raya Petrova, travelled across the Netherlands to visit several of HRC Culinary Academy’s long-standing internship partners, met our students, reconnected with industry mentors, and saw firsthand how future chefs are growing in professional kitchens.

The first stop was Andaz Amsterdam, where our students Tsvetomir and Boris are completing their internship.

Here, they have the opportunity to train under the guidance of Chef Randy, whose career has taken him through some of the world’s finest Michelin-starred kitchens. Having worked in one-, two-, and three-Michelin-star restaurants, Chef Randy now leads the culinary team at Renvy, the signature restaurant at Andaz Amsterdam, where he is known for his ingredient-driven approach and commitment to mentoring young chefs.

For Tsvetomir and Boris, this means learning every day alongside chefs whose experience reflects the highest standards of international gastronomy – an opportunity that simply can’t be replicated in the classroom.

The journey continued at Hotel Okura Amsterdam, one of HRC Culinary Academy’s longest-standing internship partners. For more than 15 years, Okura has welcomed our students into its kitchens, with four HRC interns joining the team every year. Over the years, countless HRC students have taken their first professional steps here, guided by a team that knows our Academy and has become part of our story. This year, Stoyan and Dimitar are continuing that tradition.

Returning to Okura always feels special. The conversations quickly turned into stories about former HRC students – many of whom began their careers in these very kitchens. It was a reminder that this partnership has grown far beyond a placement programme; it has become a shared history.

The Chefs shared stories about many of the HRC students they have mentored over the years – proof of the lasting relationships built through this partnership. The connection is also a personal one for Raya, who completed part of her own internship at Okura, making this visit a full-circle moment.

Partnerships like these are built over years of trust, shared values, and a commitment to developing the next generation of culinary professionals. They give our students far more than technical skills – they provide mentorship, confidence, and the opportunity to grow in some of Europe’s leading hospitality environments.

Another important stop was Van der Valk Heerlen, part of one of the Netherlands’ most recognised family-owned hotel groups, where Ronya and Yoana are completing their first professional internship.

Van der Valk is one of the Netherlands’ most iconic hotel groups, a family-owned hospitality brand with a long-standing reputation for quality, professionalism, and excellence. For our students, it provides the ideal environment to experience the realities of a professional kitchen while developing the skills required for a successful culinary career.

For Ronya and Yoana, this internship marks an especially important milestone. They joined HRC Academy immediately after graduating from high school, with no previous professional kitchen experience and embark on the Culinary arts program’s journey. What they did have was curiosity, determination, and a willingness to embrace every opportunity to learn. Just a few months into their internship, the transformation is already remarkable.

During our visit, it was impossible not to notice how much they have grown – not only as young culinary professionals but also as individuals. Working in hospitality is demanding. It requires discipline, resilience, teamwork, attention to detail, and the ability to perform under pressure. Yet despite the daily challenges, Ronya and Yoana have maintained their enthusiasm, positive attitude, and passion for learning.

Their story is a reminder that an international internship is about much more than mastering culinary techniques. It is about building confidence, adapting to a new culture, becoming independent, and discovering what you are capable of far from home. These experiences shape not only future chefs but resilient, ambitious young professionals ready to thrive anywhere in the world.

Whether it’s Andaz Amsterdam, Hotel Okura Amsterdam or Van der Valk Heerlen, every partnership reflects the same commitment – to give our students the opportunity to learn from outstanding professionals in real working environments. Through these experiences, they develop not only technical skills, but also the confidence, resilience and international mindset that define successful culinary careers.

We are incredibly proud of Tsvetomir, Boris, Stoyan, Dimitar, Ronya and Yoana, and we look forward to following the next chapters of their journey.