The Chestnut Group launches training academy as business grows

The company, set up by former banker Philip Turner in 2013, will open two more sites this summer - The White Horse in Easton (due to open this month) and The Northgate in Bury St Edmonds. 

Turner said the formation of its academy, which will recruit up to four trainees each year, would help with the company's goal of becoming a leading employer and innovator as well as provide staff to run its growing business. 

The academy's two-year programme will see trainees spend six months in each area of the business. The company's executive head chef Dan Grigg will share his knowledge in the kitchen while Turner and the group's management team will provide mentorship in business management, brand design, digital marketing and promotional campaigns. Trainees will also be given service and sommelier tuition. 

Turner said: "We pride ourselves on creating an exceptional guest experience and that rests on having a committed, passionate and experienced team who are at the top of their game.

“Our trainees do not need previous hospitality experience, just a genuine passion to create a guest experience that is second-to-none.

"Too often hospitality is seen as a stop-gap rather than a serious full-time option. We want to give people the chance to learn from the very best in the industry and have the opportunity to create a long and meaningful career.”

The Chestnut Group was established in May 2012 by Turner, who decided to buy his local pub - The Packhorse Inn - when it closed down. Turner's vision is to create a family of hostelries, under the Chestnut umbrella, which defy pigeon-holing into the standard classifications of pub, hotel or restaurant.