A course designed to keep hotel kitchens spick and span is set to clean up the industry.

For a host of hotels are enjoying cleaner kitchens and happier workers as a result of the first Bermuda Clean Kitchens training programme and more courses are set to follow.

The course was set up by the Department of Health in collaboration with Bermuda College and developed by staff from both organisations.

Classes began in July and ran for five weeks, covering the objectives of increasing awareness of food safety, promoting better hygiene standards and food handling practices and emphasising the important role of maintenance staff and food handlers.

And a bright future for the course was predicted by the first graduates.

Stonington Beach Hotel kitchen porter Joan Bschorer said she found the course exciting.

She explained: "It gave me more ideas and I have more respect for what I do than before I went to the school.'' And Antonio Medeiros, a chef steward at Southampton Princess, said the course had helped him out a lot and stressed the importance of practising what was taught.

"You have to get the job done to the satisfaction of the guest,'' he said.

The participants were not the only ones who were pleased with the outcome of the course.

Peter Reubinson of the Harmony Club said the hotel was pleased with how the programme had helped two of their kitchen porters.

"I feel very confident about it -- the workers' approach and attitude to work has changed and they are more positive now.'' During the graduation ceremony yesterday, the 27 students, who work as utility personnel and kitchen stewards were congratulated on completing the course and encouraged do their part in enhancing the stay of visitors by helping to keep the kitchens clean.

SOME ELBOW GREASE -- Dennis Pearman, Leroy Burrows, Joan Bschorer and Linda Trott, who participated in the inaugural "Bermuda Clean Kitchens'' training programme, stand in the sparkling clean kitchen at Elbow Beach Hotel.

GOVERNMENT GVT BERMUDA COLLEGE EDC