Edinburgh Food & Drink Academy Names New Head Teacher After Full Relaunch

Aisha Elshani takes the helm at EFDA as the academy moves into an expanded programme of professional courses and live events. It is the kind of quiet, grounded appointment that says more about Edinburgh's food and hospitality sector than a dozen strategy documents.

Edinburgh Food & Drink Academy has appointed Aisha Elshani as Head Teacher, a role created to lead the academy's professional education offering following a comprehensive relaunch earlier this year. Elshani brings a combined background in culinary practice and formal education, the kind of pairing EFDA needs if it is serious about turning out people who can actually work in Scotland's demanding hospitality industry rather than simply pass an assessment.

EFDA sits at an interesting intersection. Scotland's food and drink sector is worth more than £15 billion to the economy, according to Scotland Food & Drink, and yet the pipeline of skilled people entering it remains a persistent headache for operators across Edinburgh and the central belt. Good professional training, delivered at pace and tied to real industry needs, is one of the few structural fixes available to businesses who cannot afford to train from scratch on their own time.

The academy's relaunch signals intent. Expanding the programme of courses and events suggests EFDA is positioning itself not just as a classroom but as a community hub for food professionals, chefs, producers, and the growing cohort of people shifting careers into the sector. According to Skills Development Scotland, hospitality and food preparation roles consistently feature among the hardest to fill in Scottish urban centres, Edinburgh included.

Elshani's appointment reflects a broader trend in vocational education: institutions realising that the person at the front of the room needs to have stood at the pass, not just read about it. The blend of culinary credibility and teaching expertise is precisely what employers tell training providers they want when they send staff on courses. The cynical version of professional cookery education produces people who can describe a beurre blanc. The useful version produces people who can make one at volume under pressure. EFDA, with this hire, appears to be aiming for the latter.

For Edinburgh, this matters beyond the hospitality industry itself. The city's food scene, from Leith's restaurant corridor to the independent producers clustered across the Lothians, is part of what makes Edinburgh competitive as a place to live, visit, and do business. Institutions that invest in training the next generation of people who run those kitchens and businesses are doing quiet, essential work. It doesn't make headlines often. It probably should.

What this means for you: If you run a hospitality business, a food enterprise, or a team that could benefit from professional culinary or service training, EFDA is worth a proper look now that it has relaunched with new leadership. Short professional courses for existing staff are often more cost-effective than recruitment, and Scotland Food & Drink's sector support programmes sometimes include funding for exactly this kind of upskilling. Check what Business Gateway Edinburgh has available before you pay full price.