A pastry chef from New Moston in Oldham has achieved her career ambition by landing a senior role at Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat restaurant in London. Holly Jackson, 25, is now senior pastry chef de partie at the exclusive venue, which stands on the 60th floor of 22 Bishopsgate and holds the title of the highest restaurant in Europe.

Holly’s journey began five years ago when she earned an advanced diploma in Hospitality and Catering from Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale, specialising in Patisserie and Confectionery. A former pupil at Co-op Academy Failsworth in Oldham, she quickly built a reputation in the industry. During her training, she came third in the Young Pastry Chef of the Year competition in 2021 and passed her course with three distinctions.

Those results unlocked a string of opportunities. Holly moved to London and secured her first role as pastry commis chef at the Michelin-starred Hakkasan. From there, she worked as pastry demi chef de partie at The Corinthia, a five-star hotel in the capital, before being appointed head chocolatier for luxury retailer Fortnum & Mason. Her latest position at Lucky Cat marks a major step in a career that has risen rapidly.

The restaurant features prominently in the Netflix documentary “Being Gordon Ramsay,” and Holly appears in several episodes of the series. She describes the work as intense but rewarding: “It’s such an exhilarating and high intensity career – but it’s absolutely worth it.”

Holly credits her tutors at Hopwood Hall for giving her the foundation to succeed. “Hopwood gave me the perfect start and the tutors were always so supportive,” she said. “They would always say, ‘you can do whatever you want, you can really go far’ – so I never doubted that I could do it.”

Julia Heap OBE, principal and CEO of Hopwood Hall College, praised Holly’s achievements. “I’m so proud of Holly, whose career really has gone from strength to strength since completing her training at Hopwood Hall,” she said. “It’s brilliant to hear about the praise she has for her tutors and the ways they encouraged her that the sky was the limit during her course. Holly really is a fantastic example of what can be achieved in such a short space of time when you follow your passion, have the best support and secure the right qualification.”

Holly’s parents have been following her progress closely. “My career has been unbelievable and my parents are so proud of me; they’re always posting about my success on Facebook!” she added.

For readers in Oldham, Holly’s story highlights the talent that the town and surrounding areas can produce. Her rise from a local college to one of London’s most prestigious kitchens shows what is possible with the right training and determination, and it may well inspire other young people from the borough to pursue careers in hospitality and catering.