Chef rustles up opportunity at his old school
A CELEBRITY chef has partnered with his old school to create a hospitality training programme for sixth-formers. Liam Dillon, head chef of the Michelin Guide restaurant The Boat Inn, in Lichfield, chose five students from King Edward VI School in the city to spend a year at Liam’s restaurant, across different departments and roles, graduating with a certificate of merit.
The paid placement will help the students either gain entry into the hospitality industry or support them in applications for jobs and higher education. The owner of The Boat Inn said: “The hospitality industry, like many others, has been negatively affected by the pandemic and Brexit. Hundreds of thousands of people have left the sector and unfortunately, we haven’t seen enough people join to fill the gap.
“Many see working in a pub or restaurant as a ‘basic’ job or rite of passage while studying. I want to change this attitude. It’s hard work in hospitality.”
Liam, who starred in BBC TV’S Great British Menu twice, said: “I wouldn’t be a successful restaurant owner if it wasn’t for my school. Like many at that age I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
“At one point I was going to join the Marines but caught the cookery bug at school and progressed up through the ranks because my teachers helped tune my desire for learning”. Jane Rutherford, head teacher at King Edward VI School Lichfield, said: “One of our ongoing challenges is to find high-quality work experience placements for students.
“We want to support students taking up part-time paid jobs to have a positive experience and get the balance right with their studies and so a programme like this benefits everyone. Higher education establishments and employers want well-rounded students with academic results and key life skills.
“This scheme will benefit the school, The Boat Inn and most importantly our students who will be able to showcase the scheme on university, college, apprenticeship, or job applications. It’s a win-win for everyone.
“It will help the students in so many ways. Completing the application process, then guaranteed paid work for a year across different areas of the business plus the addition of a certificate of achievement to aid applications to college, university, or jobs and I can’t wait to see our students start.”
The Boat Inn has three AA Rosettes and is listed in the Michelin Guide. Owner Liam continued: “This isn’t just work experience, this is a paid placement. I value my staff and want them to feel part of a team.
“Our new sixth formers will get to know what it’s like to be part of something long-term and get a good wage at the same time. I don’t know of anything like this in the UK so I hope it will become a blueprint for the industry.”