Meet the Instructor: Tip Tirakanirunkul

A career in hospitality can take you around the world. Just ask Tip Tirakanirunkul, AIHM instructor in the Practical Arts. Originally from Thailand, she began her higher education locally before pursuing culinary training and a successful pastry career in Europe. Journeying full circle, she returned to her home country several years ago to share her hospitality expertise at universities in Thailand.

Discover her career journey below and glimpse her passions in and out of the classroom.

Tip Tirakanirunkul, Lecturer in Hospitality Management (Practical Arts)

Success is sweet. And so are Tip Tirakanirunkul’s lessons.

AIHM’s BBA students get to spend their first semester studying the Practical Arts, exploring the range of hotel departments that contribute to a property’s success. Students enjoy hands-on practice, learning how hotel team members make the perfect cappuccino, run a seamless housekeeping service and bake the morning delights guests savour as they begin their day. A Practical Arts lecturer with an illustrious pastry career, Tip is one the first passionate instructors AIHM’s students will encounter during their degree programme.

Tip is a culinary maestro who began her career running one of London’s most upscale bakeries in the ritzy Chelsea area while also formally qualifying in International Culinary Arts at the University of West London.

In 2011, she was recruited to teach at the Novelli Academy, run by Michelin-starred French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, kicking off her career in education. She fell in love with teaching and has dedicated herself to sharing her skills with others ever since. After moving back to Thailand to teach hospitality management at Stamford University, she joined the faculty at AIHM, where she introduced new students to the joys and demands of the culinary arts.

Tip’s students learn that there’s much more to mastering the pastry business than a beautifully whipped Chantilly cream or perfectly layered pastry. Drawing from her years in the catering business, she teaches AIHM’s hospitality management students the practical skills need to run large daily operations. At the same time, she guides students as they dive into their own creativity, developing the artistry, out-of-the-box thinking and adaptability that will elevate their hospitality careers to the sweetest levels of success in the years to come.

Get to know Tip Tirakanirunkul in the Q&A below.

Q&A with Tip Tirakanirunkul

Why do you teach?

I love being a teacher because it allows me to share my knowledge and experience with my students. I take the task of developing young people into kind, thoughtful and contributing adults very seriously. I have always been so grateful to my teachers and the educational system for making me the person that I am today.

You have one afternoon free in Bangkok. What do you do?

I would visit Museum Siam, which is a discovery museum located on Sanam Chai Road in Bangkok. It was created to teach the national identity and history of the people of Thailand, and their relationships with neighbouring cultures. The museum is interactive and filled with creativity, just like the way I like to teach my classes.

Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_Siam

What song do you know all the lyrics to?

My favourite songs that I usually sing when gathering with friends for a karaoke night out are “Top of the World” by The Carpenters and “Greatest Love of All” by  Whitney Houston. These are two songs whose lyrics I can easily remember as I practice them quite often!

What was your favourite part of your education or career training?

I trained to be a pastry chef at West London University. Some of my favourite memories from my pastry chef training days were the events I was able to be part of. I had the experience of being part of the chef team who supplied food and desserts to the Chelsea Flower Show and the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club Tournament.

The memories you make during your early days learning the ins and outs of hospitality can leave such lasting impressions. I’ll always remember those years, their excitement and the things I learned back then which I carry forward to this day.

In your view, what are the most important qualities in an instructor?

Some of the qualities of a good teacher include skills in communication, listening, collaboration, humor, empathy and patience.

In my opinion, among all these qualities, patience is the most important quality that a good teacher should possess.

What’s your favourite Swiss food? Your favourite Thai food?

When it comes to Swiss food, I love Basler Leckerli, a traditional Swiss spiced biscuit with a firm and chewy texture. It’s filled with crunchy nuts, candied citrus and spices, and finished with a sweet glaze. As I love gingerbread, this treat always reminds me of Christmas!

For Thai food, I’m a big fan of Papaya Salad, or Somtum in Thai. Originating in the northeastern part of Thailand, it’s not a dish I grew up with but it is a dish that I am always craving. Fresh, spicy, sour, salty, a little sweet—it’s a perfectly balanced dish.

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