M&B discovers apprenticeship talent in ‘MasterChef’ contest

For National Apprenticeship Week, Mitchells & Butlers has held its very own MasterChef-style battle to celebrate the company’s apprentice talent.

The special culinary competition known as ‘MABsterChef’, saw chef apprentices battle it out through several elimination rounds to create, cost and produce a dish that could be the main course at Mitchells & Butlers’ annual, week-long PRIDE Awards recognition event which hosts over 1,600 general managers.

The finalists, all working as apprentice chefs in several of the Company’s well-known portfolio of brands such as Toby Carvery, Harvester, Browns, Vintage Inns and Miller & Carter, took part in two tense rounds of cook offs and presented their appetising dishes to the judges.

The standard of dishes, flavours and culinary skills were extremely high, however Jodie Reed, Vintage Inns Apprentice, was crowned M&Bs MABsterChef 2018. Jodie’s winning dish was pork tenderloin wellington with a mushroom, shallot and sage duxelle, fondant potato, honey and thyme roasted rainbow carrots, apple puree, and cider and mustard sauce.

Susan Martindale, Group HR Director, said, “Our competition has been a great way to discover and celebrate the immense talent across our apprenticeship programme. It’s not only challenged but inspired our apprentice population in the lead up to National Apprenticeship Week.

‘Nothing makes me prouder than developing our people and therefore I am delighted that we can offer great career opportunities for apprentices. Across Mitchells & Butlers we currently have around 1,600 apprentices working with us and through our 400 apprentice vacancies continue to prioritise recruiting new talent into the business, as well as growing our own, through training and development to ensure we are nurturing future talent.’