Surrey Homes | SH30 | April 2017 |Gardens supplement inside
The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
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Food<br />
clockwise<br />
from left:<br />
Rosemary and<br />
apprentice Lauren-<br />
Louise present the Lamb<br />
Navarin; Lauren-Louise<br />
and tutor, Shenley<br />
Moore<br />
Main Course<br />
Rosemary Shrager talks to Lucy Fleming about the new apprenticeships<br />
on offer at her Cookery School in Tunbridge Wells<br />
Why did you decide to offer apprenticeships?<br />
Rosemary: “I came down to Tunbridge Wells to set up<br />
the Cookery School with the intention of eventually<br />
offering apprenticeships. When I was learning to cook,<br />
I was desperate for a mentor – I kept books and wrote<br />
about food – and ending up putting myself through<br />
apprenticeships that I organised myself. I learned on the<br />
job, searching out the relevant expertise for each area that<br />
I wanted to find out more about. For me, to give back<br />
what I truly loved myself was the most important thing.<br />
I love to see students develop. It’s a wonderful<br />
way to begin. An apprenticeship scheme in the<br />
catering industry is one of the most logical ways<br />
of starting out as you’re learning on the job.<br />
Before, we didn’t have the infrastructure to do the<br />
marketing to let people know that we were offering<br />
apprenticeships, so I decided a year ago that I needed to<br />
find a partner who was able to fulfil the side that I couldn’t.<br />
And that’s when I found Hadlow – through a bit of a stroke<br />
of luck. We were at the Kent Choices for You Careers Fair<br />
at Detling and Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, Hadlow’s Deputy<br />
Group Principal and Deputy CEO happened to be there.<br />
Mark came to see me and I explained our situation and he<br />
decided that there was a future in us working together.<br />
Months later, we’re now in partnership with the Hadlow<br />
group. It’s the best partnership, as they are able to deliver<br />
what we haven’t got – the marketing side, the apprenticeship<br />
side, the funding side. I am absolutely over the moon with it.<br />
I honestly do believe that they can offer us as much as we can<br />
offer them. Here we have a high-end catering side whereas<br />
at Hadlow they don’t – we can deliver an introduction into<br />
live shows, work experience, getting apprentices into top<br />
restaurants. I have had students here working on set on<br />
a TV show – now that’s experience! They have also been<br />
invited to Abu Dhabi and Dubai and we’re doing exchanges<br />
with universities in the Scottish Highlands and Ireland,<br />
too. I’ve even got them into the Royal Tent at Buckingham<br />
Palace where they’ve met the Royals. I’ve been able to<br />
introduce them to a world that they wouldn’t necessarily<br />
have had the opportunity to become involved in before.”<br />
How do apprentices apply?<br />
Shenley Moore, Tutor: “We take apprentices from 16 years<br />
of age, working on NVQ 2, 3 & 4. There is space for up<br />
to 40 here. To apply, prospective apprentices would either<br />
phone the Cookery School or Hadlow College and come<br />
in for an interview to talk through their skills, before being<br />
enrolled. You can apply at any time throughout the year.”<br />
What’s the response been like?<br />
Rosemary: “It’s just beginning, it’s brilliant! We’ve got more<br />
and more students coming on board. We’ve got interviews –<br />
there’s lots going on. Lauren’s been with us for nearly three<br />
years, she absolutely loves it!”<br />
Lauren-Louise Nicholson, apprentice: “I did my level 2, went<br />
travelling for a year and I’ve come back to do my level three.”<br />
Rosemary: “It’s perfect – I love it! I’m so lucky. I<br />
have some wonderful people working here and<br />
teaching – they’re incredible, they really are.”<br />
To enquire about an apprenticeship, email<br />
ABCGroup@hadlowgroup.ac.uk, call 01892 372888 or<br />
fill out the online application form at rosemaryshrager.<br />
com/the-cookery-school/apprenticeships/.<br />
131 wealdentimes.co.uk