St Austell Family Group seeks 30 apprentice chefs

St Austell Family Group has partnered with colleges across the West Country to relaunch its chef apprenticeship scheme.

The programme is taking applications from candidates of all ages and requires no prior experience or qualifications except for "an appetite to learn".

St Austell, which first opened as a brewery in in Cornwall in 1851, now has over 180 pubs, inns and hotels across the West Country that will provide roles for those who enrol in the scheme.

The independent, family-owned business will train 30 apprentice chefs in collaboration with a network of colleges in the south-west of England, which include Truro & Penwith College, Exeter College, Bath College and Cornwall College Group.

The apprentices will receive a minimum of 30 hours of practical time in the kitchen at a starting rate of £9 per hour for under-21-year-olds.

They will also be offered regular college classes, 30% off food and drink and 50% off accommodation in the company's managed pubs.

Successful apprentices will receive a formal qualification upon completion of the programme.

Jon Kelley, early careers manager at St Austell Family Group, said: "We believe quality training and nurturing talent is at the heart of staff retention. That's why we're looking to invest in at least 30 chef apprentices, offering them hands-on experience and industry mentorship, with a formal qualification on top."

Jacob Williams, who now works at the County Arms in Truro having been on the St Austell's level 2 chef apprenticeship programme for almost a year, said: "Before joining the team at the County, I was on a building course that wasn't what I had expected, so I was looking to make a change. I enjoy being an apprentice for St Austell. I am being given the right amount of time to learn and gain practical skills – all while being paid.

"The support I have available to me across the business has been great too. My hopes for the future are to stay with St Austell, progress through to level 3 and level 4 and eventually become a head chef."