Apprentices delight diners at Chichester College
Apprentices from Hall & Woodhouse (H&W) took over the kitchens at Chichester College to whip up a sumptuous dinner to remember.
The evening marked a full year of training partnership between Hall & Woodhouse and Chichester College, which sees the college delivering apprenticeship training across two programmes and supports the Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire Hall & Woodhouse houses.
One of the highlights of the evening saw the winners of a special ‘Skills MasterChef style’ challenge announced. The apprentices had previously taken part in a competition which saw them craft their own menus using a limited set of ingredients.
Callum Daysh, a Level 2 Apprentice Chef at The Talisman and one of the youngest apprentices on the programmes, and Abi Dalton, Head Chef at The Plough, were named joint winners after scoring highly.
Callum said: “I really didn’t expect to win! It’s really exciting and I feel quite proud. I’m really enjoying the apprenticeship; it’s been really good.”
Abi added that the support provided to her throughout the year has been welcomed.
The apprentices worked together to cook a four-course menu, served at the college’s 64 Restaurant and enjoyed by more than 60 guests, including managers from several H&W houses alongside many restaurant regulars.
The evening was concluded with a heartfelt speech by Anthony Woodhouse, Chairman of Hall & Woodhouse, who spoke passionately about the value of the apprenticeships and his deep appreciation of the partnership between Chichester College and H&W.
He said: “Being a great place to work is at the heart of what we do and one of the most important parts of achieving that is by offering talented people opportunities and support to help them fulfil their potential.
“The apprenticeship programmes that Chichester College deliver absolutely meet and exceed our expectations for doing that, so it’s really exciting to see what our apprentices are achieving at a night like this.
“We have extremely high standards and what the college has delivered has met and exceeded our expectations. You can see the difference it is making to our apprentices, their lives and careers.”
Helen Loftus, Principal at Chichester College, added: “We enjoyed a truly fantastic night, which showcased the talent and hard work of this brilliant group of apprentices.
“We are proud to be a training partner of Hall & Woodhouse, providing a bespoke training package which meets their needs and supports their chefs in their professional development.
“It is vital for employers to recognise the value of investing in their teams, giving their staff the opportunities to soar – and that’s exactly what we see in our work with Hall & Woodhouse, and what we see at evenings like this one.”