A vocational programme has been launched in Bristol to help tackle the city’s critical shortage of trained chefs as its food and restaurant scene continues to expand rapidly.
The School of Food has brought together Bristol chefs Josh Eggleton and Adrian Kirikmaa with Weston College, St Katherine’s School and Ashton Gate Stadium to address the ever-growing issue of boosting recruitment into the hospitality industry.
The school is open to young people looking for an entry point into the industry, as well as those already working within restaurants, hotels and food businesses. 
Pictured at the launch of School for Food, from left: Paul Mingo-West, St Katharine’s School; Adrian Kirikmaa, St Monica’s Trust; Josh Eggleton, The Pony & Trap; and Brian Howe, Weston College
The course will be taught by chefs, offering apprenticeships with the best establishments in the South West and offering visits to food producers, artisans and the opportunity to cook at high profile events and locations.
Students will complete a 12-month course, undertaking the Commis Chef Standard Intermediate Apprenticeship at Level 2. Once completed this opens the door to a host of future opportunities as Bristol’s food and drink scene continues to heat up, with a huge number of new openings in the last year alone.
The region’s success will be short-lived if restaurateurs cannot bring new talent into their kitchens. Recruitment and retention issues have been simmering in the hospitality industry for many years. But trade experts say it is now reaching boiling point – with industry estimates suggesting that it will need to recruit 1.3m staff by 2024 in order to fuel market growth.
Restaurants across the country have been reducing operational hours due to staff shortages, where many have simply closed under the pressure.
Josh Eggleton, Chef Patron at The Pony & Trap and The School of Food co-founder, said: “The chef shortage is by no means a new thing, it’s been bubbling away for years.
“For so long people have been talking about why it’s happening, but hardly anyone has looked at how we can fix this. The School of Food is kind of the antithesis to that; it’s all about bringing through the future of the industry.
“This apprenticeship will give participants more time in professional kitchens, designed to inspire chefs and show them just what they can achieve and really set them up for success in what is an incredibly rewarding and creative industry.”
The School of Food curriculum will cover everything from food preparation and nutrition through to chef and knife skills, food knowledge, how to take stock and even the financial aspects of working in a kitchen.
Students will be mentored by a professional chef who will provide regular assessments and regular workplace visits to monitor progress. Students will have the chance to use state of the art facilities at The Grove Restaurant at Weston College, The Leaf at Ham Green run by St Katherine’s School and Ashton Gate Stadium, which since its redevelopment, has become the largest conference and hospitality events venue in the South West.
St Katherine’s School and Weston College have designed the training and lesson plans apprentices will follow and collaborated on a success pilot at the school in Ham Green.
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, principal and chief executive, Weston College Group said: “We pride ourselves on delivering a curriculum designed by industry, for industry, and this unique partnership will help us to deliver relevant training opportunities that provide young people and adults with a real chance to succeed in such a dynamic industry.”
Adrian Kirikmaa, head chef at St Monica’s Trust and co-founder of The School of Food added: “We’ve been working closely with chefs, producers and educators to design a curriculum we feel will really benefit young chefs and give them all the tools they need to succeed.
“What we’re looking to do with The School of Food is to pair practical skills and food knowledge with actual industry experience in professional kitchens. This is a vocational apprenticeship; however we’ll be taking a more tailored individual approach. Students will be placed into establishments that will appeal to their own ambitions; whether that’s an artisan bakery, a five-strong gastropub team or a 35-strong commercial kitchen in a large operation.”
The launch at Bristol’s Ashton Gate Stadium was attended by local chefs, producers, artisans and educators.
Stadium managing director Mark Kelly said: “Since opening the redeveloped stadium, I have been in discussion with both Josh and our executive head chef George Opondo on how we can help bridge the gap in chef development and recruitment in Bristol.
“Ashton Gate is delighted to be able to host the young chefs of the future and look forward to working closely with them as they develop their careers in the hospitality industry.”
The School of Food has already received the backing of a number of chefs from Bristol, the South West and further afield. The likes of Elliot Lidstone of Box-E, Casamia’s Peter Sanchez-Iglesias and Great British Menu star Tommy Banks have all backed the School as a positive force for the industry.
