Applications are now open for the second intake of aspiring chefs in the Exclusive Chefs’ Academy following its inaugural launch last year from luxury country house hotel group, Exclusive Hotels and Venues.
Offering budding chefs the opportunity to develop their talent under the leadership of Exclusive’s award-winning chefs - including 2 Michelin star
Michael Wignall at The Latymer, 1-Michelin star chefs
Matt Gillan at The Pass and
Richard Davies at The Bybrook and Olly Rouse at The Avenue - the intensive programme provides full time, permanent employment for up to 12 chefs per year.
Andy Mackenzie, Executive Chef of the Academy said: “After what has been a phenomenal year of learning and development for our current Academy team, applications are now open for a new group of energetic chefs to learn from the very best and blow us away with their talent.”
He added: “We are talking to catering colleges and universities across the country but are looking for talent from all walks of life. What’s important is to find chefs with skill, passion and a determination to succeed and we’ll reward that ambition with a carefully curated mentoring programme and first class career-progression that gives each one the right foundation to carve out a successful, lifelong career in the industry.”
Designed to tackle the hospitality industry challenges of chef recruitment and retention head on, the Exclusive Chefs’ Academy provides a rare and life-changing opportunity for chefs to learn in two years what might typically take five if they were to undertake their own separate placements across the industry.
The programme consists of supplier visits, team challenges, local outside catering events and a range of supervisory workshops which take the chefs on a complete plot-to-plate intensive journey, fast-tracking them to a chef de partie position within the Exclusive kitchens after successful completion of the 24-month programme.
Chefs interested in applying must fill out an online application form before competing in a skills test and an assessment day at the Exclusive Chefs’ Academy kitchens, the first of which is on May 29 at Lainston House.
Joel Darby joined the programme in June 2015 from University College Birmingham and said: “I am amazed at what I have learnt in just under a year at the Exclusive Chefs’ Academy and how my skills have developed. We have been given the opportunity to visit fantastic suppliers and producers from Portland Shellfish, Brixham Fish Market, Wellocks Farm and Fundamentally Fungus, taking the demonstrations, sampling and knowledge back into the training kitchens to help develop new dishes for guests of Exclusive. In working with and learning from such an inspired group of chefs, I am confident I have made the right career choice and am immensely proud of what I am continuing to achieve.”
12 chefs in the first cohort are about to enter into year two of the programme, progressing to demi chef de partie in June after the successful completion of their first year.
Application forms and information on remuneration and benefits package can be downloaded here
