TA Hotel Collection to train chefs at North Suffolk Skills Academy
The company, which owns The White Lion and The Brudenell in Aldeburgh; The Crown at Woodbridge and The Thorpeness Hotel and Golf Club and The Swan in Lavenham, will help to deliver the Level 1 Certificate in Hospitality & Catering for under-16s and the Level 2 Diploma in Professional Cookery for 16 to 19-year-olds at the academy.
NSSA chief exective Mark Attenburrow said the academy had been looking for a local company to help deliver practical, on-the-job style training as a way of bridging the gap between education and industry.
“We’re keen to align ourselves with the best providers in the area and aim to provide training with a very clear link to industry," he said. "Students in this programme will experience a fulfilling learning journey where they not only learn practical skills but have the chance to work with those at the forefront of commercial activity today.”
Industry knowledge
The Crown at Woodbridge's chef-patron Stephen David and his head chef Luke Bailey will be in charge of training students while giving them some real-life experience within the kitchen. Courses will be run in conjunction with Babcock, which will facilitate the theory element of the qualifications.
TA Hotel Collection, which ran an in-house Chef's Academy previously, was chosen by NSSA for its proactive approach to career progression, said Attenburrow.
Managing director Grahame Tinnion, said one of the primary objectives of the company was to invest time in developing young people and giving them the opportunity to work in the indsutry.
He said: "I am delighted that TA Hotel Collection has been given this wonderful chance to partner with the Academy and in return to provide these talented young people with the fortune of working with our industry leaders, many of whom have cut their teeth in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens. Hospitality is a fantastic industry, providing individuals with job fulfilment and the opportunities for personal and professional development are second to none.”
