Member Article

Merseyside college launches “Michelin Star” apprenticeship with celebrity chef

Hugh Baird College in Bootle is teaming up with renowned celebrity chef Nigel Haworth to launch an exclusive apprenticeship enabling students to gain employment in Michelin star restaurants.

The college launched its pioneering L20 Hotel School in August in a bid to ramp up training standards available to the UK’s hospitality sector.

Nigel Haworth is famous for reaching the BBC2’s Great British Menu final with his Lancashire Hotpot. The Accrington-born Michelin Star chef has also appeared on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and the Market Kitchen, and has been involved in running the Northcote Group and Ribble Valley inns since 1989.

L20 Hotel School director Mike Mounfield said the new L20 Northcote Apprenticeship will go the extra mile providing “on the job” training and field trips to regional food producers.

It will further deliver extensive knowledge based training on subjects including the origins of ingredients and the mechanics of running profitable kitchens, covering food management and stock orders.

Adding to the mix, the partnership will also see Nigel visiting the college each term to meet students, lead training sessions, devise seasonal menus and run the kitchen service.

Mr Mounfield said: “This is another terrific development for the L20 Hotel School. We are delighted to be working alongside a chef of Nigel’s outstanding calibre and also combine with the restaurants and hotels within the Northcote Group.

“We have been in discussions with Nigel for months refining the details of the apprenticeship package. Essentially, this is about providing added value. We are teaching for a vocation not a qualification. Our apprentices will be given intense jobbing experience and will gain a deep knowledge of food production and regional produce. We will look to nurture talent and develop passion.

“For the best performing students there will also be a glittering opportunity to gain employment at one of the Northcote Group establishments, which include Michelin Star restaurants, as well as the L20 Hotel School itself.”

Nigel Haworth said: “This is a unique opportunity and partnership to develop the up and coming talent for the North West region. A core objective of the L20 Northcote apprenticeship is to structure training to meet the job requirements rather than just the qualification standard. Apprentices will develop in-depth skill and knowledge through a broad array of engaging experiences.

“Part of the course will focus on the history of Liverpool food to ensure learners appreciate the heritage and culture of the hospitality environment they work in. The reciprocal partnership will also see the L20 Hotel School delivering bespoke professional chef training to upskill staff within the Northcote Group.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time for me and everybody involved at Northcote and Hugh Baird College, the sky’s the limit.”

Hugh Baird College principal Yana Williams said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Nigel who has a strong reputation for excellence in the hospitality sector.

“The L20 Hotel School has attracted great interest since its launch. The enterprise shows our intent to fully support the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership’s growth strategy.

“The region’s visitor economy is one of the LEP’s key priorities. It is expanding rapidly with more than 56 million visitors attracted each year, spending £3.4billion. We want to ensure we provide local people with the facilities and training to capitalise on the opportunities that lie within this sector and help the visitor economy grow.”

Chef apprentice on the L20 Northcote Apprenticeship Will Wilson said: “I’m so excited to be joining the course. I’ve always had a huge interest in the hospitality sector and I’m ambitious to do well. This will give me all the skills that I need to make an impact. A lot of people are talking about the L20 Hotel School and the thought of working alongside Nigel is really amazing.”

The L20 Northcote Apprenticeship will cover all aspects of the Hospitality Apprenticeship for food and drink service, and the Chef Apprenticeship for food preparation and cooking. It is underwritten by City & Guilds and learners will be able to join throughout the year. The course length is between 12 and 18 months.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .