Growing Your Own Talent

Training is essential to keep staff updated with new skills, to make them feel valued and help them improve performance, but with businesses under tremendous pressure financially, training may not be high on the agenda.

As Simon Rogan MBE, award-winning chef and restaurateur, says, “There are certainly financial pressures facing hospitality at the moment, which can make investing in training more challenging, but it’s incredibly important that we continue to prioritise it. Giving people the time, skills and confidence to develop strengthens the whole business and helps secure the future of the industry.”

Simon is one of several chefs who has started up their own training centre, and runs Academy by Simon Rogan in Cartmel, Cumbria. Others include Gordon Ramsay, Rick Stein and Jean-Christophe Novelli. “We’ve seen huge benefits from having our own apprenticeship scheme, but that doesn’t mean every chef or restaurant needs to create their own academy,” says Simon. “It’s a significant commitment and there are already some excellent programmes doing brilliant work. Chefs and businesses can contribute in different ways. It might start with taking on one or two young chefs, providing strong mentorship and putting a clear structure around their progression. Ultimately, raising standards comes down to sharing knowledge and giving the next generation the support they need to succeed.”

Roberto Costa, founder of Macellaio RC chain of Italian restaurants in London, set up Matoori Academy, offering a six-month course on all aspects of hospitality such as customer service, back-office operations and leadership. He says, “When you train people within your own culture, they understand not only what to do but why they are doing it, that’s key. An academy creates loyalty because when people feel a company is investing in their development they are more interested in investing their energy. Training needs to be connected to real operations. Hospitality can’t be learned only from a screen or inside a classroom. People need supervised experience in a restaurant where they will deal with real customers and real pressure.” For companies considering setting up an academy, you need to look at parts of the business where skills are in short supply, what roles are difficult to fill and the points at which people tend to leave. Adele Oxberry, CEO and founder of Umbrella Training, says, “Envisage what the business will need from its workforce over the next three to five years. A successful academy should address genuine workforce needs and give people a clearer, more supported role from the outset.”

How training is diversifying

Training for chefs has transformed over the years to a much broader spectrum of skills. Leiths School of Food and Wine has updated its diploma to include training in social media and content creation. This is taught by Craig Morrison, a former Student of the Year. The course in food content creation covers everything from styling and videography to audience building.

Louise Kissane, Culinary School Director, says, “The diploma has always moved in step with the industry.
We teach students to cook properly first and the camera comes after. You learn the craft, then you learn how to communicate it. A chef who can cook brilliantly and also tell the story of that food has a genuine advantage. If we sent students out without those skills, we’d be preparing them for the industry as it was, not the industry as it is. Our job is to ready them for the careers actually in front of them.”

The Clink Charity, which offers training kitchens and restaurants inside prisons, has partnered with Benugo to create a structured employment pathway for prison leavers. Benugo has invested in the restaurant at HMP Brixton for the next five years, and the relationship is a blend of financial support, in-prison training and masterclasses with their learning and development team, interview preparation and fast-track to employment pathways post-release. Donna-Marie Edmonds, Chief Executive, The Clink Charity, says, “Our training model is built on a simple principle – real skills in real environments leading to real opportunities.” Training takes place in restaurants, kitchens, gardens and events, enabling learners to apply their skills in
practice and develop professional standards.

Another successful partnership has been between the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) and Umbrella Training to create new courses for chefs working in the care sector. Adele Oxberry from Umbrella Training says, “This shows what can be achieved by bringing together deep sector knowledge and training expertise. Working in care catering can be very different from hospitality so the programme reflects this.”

For companies seeking a similar collaboration, Adele suggests identifying the gaps in the workforce and the roles that are difficult to recruit or retain. “These conversations should involve the people doing the jobs as they understand the challenges better than anyone. From there, the right training partner can help create the right training programme.”

Ultimately, attracting young people to the industry is vital to develop the workforce of the future. Ross Burgess, head chef, Gordonstoun School in Moray is keen to encourage the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals. It is the only school in Scotland to offer Leiths Education cookery courses which are delivered by Ross and the catering manager. Ross says, “Over the past two years we’ve been amazed by the enthusiasm shown by our students. Hospitality education opportunities locally have declined in recent years and there are fewer pathways available for young people interested in the industry. I believe this initiative could make a genuine difference in the years ahead.”

Although the hospitality industry is under pressure, the initiatives taken by so many throughout the sector are proving it is more important than ever to develop and nurture staff, providing them with the necessary skills to strengthen a business.

Tips For Building a Training Programme:

Map the gaps, looking at which roles are hardest to fill and the points at which people tend to leave
Plan for the workforce you’ll need in three to five years
Involve the people actually doing the jobs when designing a programme
Keep learning tied to real service
Partner before you build, as charities, colleges and specialist providers can often deliver what an
in-house academy would
Widen the skill set beyond knife work to cover communication, leadership and even content creation