Member Article

Hambleton restaurant leads the way in apprenticeship training

Chapter’s Deli in Stokesley is spearheading the development of apprenticeships in the foodservice industry by joining forces with a national hospitality training provider.

‘The Deli’, as it is known, is one of the first in the country to deliver the new apprenticeship standards specifically for commis chefs, provided by HIT (Hospitality Industry Training) Training.

The new standards came into effect on 1st August 2016 and were developed by the Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group.

Mangers at Chapter’s Deli invest heavily in ensuring staff are trained to the highest standards and support Government plans to create more high quality apprenticeships to meet the needs of employers and apprentices to help drive growth and productivity across the hospitality sector.

Having been approved by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the new standards replace the current Level 2 hospitality apprenticeship frameworks. The HIT Training programme provides the most up-to-date training and makes the qualifications relevant and in-line with the requirements and demands of the hospitality sector.

Katie Stevens, from Stokesley, is an apprentice chef at Chapter’s Deli and joined the business in September having left school this year. Katie has recently started the new training scheme which will last a year.

The Deli employs a team of 22 local staff headed by manager, Jake Taylor, and has been a popular destination in Stokesley for more than 15 years.

Jane Ablett, one of the owners of Chapter’s Deli, said “Staff development and progression is very important to us, especially when it comes to encouraging the next generation of chefs.

“It has been interesting to learn about the many benefits of the new standards, especially in encouraging talent levels which will enable us to offer greater flexibility in how we develop our young apprentices in the future.

“We can decide exactly what training and development techniques to use to help Katie grow and this will be overseen by HIT Training. We are hoping that with this greater flexibility comes greater progression opportunities for Katie, so she can truly develop in an industry which is so short of good quality chefs.”

Katie added: “I’ve always been interested in a career in the hospitality sector but it’s really important to me that I work for a business that allows me to train and develop to the best of my ability. This new scheme, supported by my managers at the Deli, is ideal and it is already helping me with new ideas.”

HIT Training is the leading specialist national training and apprenticeship provider for the hospitality and catering sector. Having supported over 100,000 learners across 22,000 employer sites across the country HIT offers a wide range of apprenticeships and staff development schemes for all levels of staff, including supervisory and management.

The Deli is open seven days a week- including Sundays- for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea, homemade cakes and scones, lunch and dinner, cocktail happy hours and Sunday lunch.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Addison Associates .