Savoy Educational Trust Student Scholarships 2026
We are delighted to announce these 2 scholarship experiences for hospitality students in Scotland, thanks to suport from the Savoy Educational Trust.
Savoy Educational Trust have been a supporter of HIT Scotland for over 20 years, allowing us to provide opportunites to inspire and motivate students who have chosen hospitality as their career choice. Their funding allows us to invite students to attend the HIT Talent Conference, and to do a mix of student specific learning experiences.
These scholarships will add to this, with a 1.5 day practical masterclass for student chefs, and a 1.5 day customer experience programme for those interested in working front of house.
Open to colleges and Universities around Scotland, please take a look at the criteria given to find a suitable student to nominate. We ask that each college nominates only one individual they would like to take part. Places are limited so not all applicants may get the chance to join this one.
All scholarship content specifics are subject to change. Any changes will be in keeping with the feel of the original scholarship idea.
Savoy Educational Trust
The Savoy Educational Trust is passionate about fostering the growth and excellence of individuals working in (or aspiring to work in) hospitality, equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in this dynamic sector.
Their mission is to make a tangible difference and impact on the development of the UK hospitality industry via the grants they provide and the initiatives they support.
Who are they?
The Savoy Educational Trust was founded in 1961 by four directors of The Savoy Hotel Ltd as a completely independent, grant-giving charitable Trust. April 1998 marked a turning point in the history of the Trust as the then-trustees sold their shares in The Savoy Hotel, with the proceeds of the sale forming part of the expendable endowment of the Trust, which is invested in such a way as to maximise total return while providing a level of income agreed annually by the Trustees.
Savoy Educational Trust Student Chef Scholarship
What: This is a hands on educational experience for professional cookery students from colleges around Scotland. The aim is to provide students with an engaging and inspiring couple of days, the chance to try some new techniques, and network with other student chefs.
Content: Wednesday afternoon is a professionally led demonstration showcasing a range of patisserie skills and techniques, complete with tasters. Complemented by a masterclass in fish filleting, cooking techniques, and plating skills. On Thursday the students will recreate selected dishes and techniques from the previous day, preparing their own lunch and crafting a patisserie showpiece worthy of a high-end shop window. Throughout both days, they’ll gain valuable insights, practical skills, and expert tips from the team.
Who is this suitable for / criteria: Someone studying professional cookery who has decided that they definitely want to work in the kitchen as a chef! Someone with basic chef skills is required, so this can be someone who has just completed HNC level 6 or 7.
Where: This will take place at the Edinburgh Food & Drink Academy in the city centre of Edinburgh which has a fully equipped teaching kitchen.
How Long: This is a 1.5 day scholarship, with an overnight stay at a local 3 star hotel, and dinner at a nice restaurant! Students would be expected to get to Edinburgh for 2pm on Wednesday, and return home on Thursday early evening.
When: Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th June 2026. Wednesday will be from 2pm to 5.00pm, with a group dinner at 7pm. Thursday would be from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Timings approximate.
Structure: This will be a mixture of demonstration from an experienced chef, and the chance to then try it yourself! This will be hands on for the student chefs. Students will stay overnight in a local 3 star hotel (single room, no sharing). There will be a group dinner on Wednesday night in a quality venue so that you can experience the food and service, and have the chance to network.
Number of scholarships: There will be 8-12 places available for this.
Application: Colleges should nominate one student they think would benefit from this experience. Please note, places are limited so not all students who are nominated will get a place. This should be a student who has not already received a HIT Scotland scholarship for 2026, so that someone new gets the chance to do this.
This experience is fully funded by HIT Scotland so shouldn’t cost anything to the student or college. HIT Scotland tries to organise and pay for as much of this in advance as possible, but the student would be expected to organise their own travel to and from Edinburgh and claim back in expenses. Full information will be provided.
Savoy Educational Trust Student Customer Experience Scholarship
What: This is an educational experience for hospitality students from colleges around Scotland, keen to work front of house in any aspect of hospitality. The aim is to inspire and motivate you, to let you hear and learn from some big hotel brands, and gain some knowledge to help you in your future career in this industry.
Content: This 1.5 day scholarship will take place at 2 different hotels in Glasgow, and would involve a mix of talks and tours. You will hear from a variety of hospitality professionals and organisations about how they view and teach Customer Service. You will also get a tour of the venues and the chance to ask questions of the team. There will be a session on Handling Conflict, useful for all areas of customer service! Dinner will be at Hazel at the AC Hotel, where you can experience the food and the service. Final running order TBC.
Who is this suitable for / criteria: For a student doing some kind of hospitality management course. Someone studying a minimum of an HNC, or above. This should be someone who has shown a keen interest in following a career in hospitality in Scotland, front of house, rather than kitchen.
Where: 2 city centre venues in Glasgow. Wednesday afternoon at the AC Hotel Glasgow, Thursday at the Dakota Glasgow.
How long: This is a 1.5 day scholarship, with an overnight stay at a local 3 star hotel, and dinner at a nice restaurant. Students would be expected to get to Glasgow for 1pm on Wednesday, and return home on Thursday early evening.
When: Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th May 2026. Tuesday will be from 1pm to 5.00pm, with a group dinner at 7pm. Wednesday would be from 9.00am to 4.00pm. Timings approximate.
Structure: The 1.5 days will be based in a hotel meeting room, with a variety of hospitality professionals talking about Customer Experience and Service, with some other useful sessions. The Handling Conflict session will include some interactive exercises. There will be tour of the venue and the chance to ask questions of hotel team members. Students will stay overnight in a local 3 star hotel (single room, no sharing). There will be a group dinner on Tuesday night in a nice restaurant so that you can see first hand their customer experience. The plan is for there to be a mixture of speakers from a variety of organisations.
Number of scholarships: There will be up to 12 places available for this.
Application: Colleges should nominate one student they think would benefit from this experience. Please note, places are limited so not all students nominated may get a place. This should be a student who has NOT already received a HIT Scotland scholarship for 2026, so that someone new gets the chance to do this.
This experience is fully funded by HIT Scotland so shouldn’t cost anything to the student or college. HIT Scotland tries to organise and pay for as much of this in advance as possible, but the student would be expected to organise their own travel to and from Glasgow and claim back in expenses. Full information will be provided.
Applications close Friday 8th May 2026
If you have any queries about this, please email our Scholarship Manager Alyson Gray on alyson@hitscotland.co.uk