Sixteen graduate from Elior’s Chef School

Sixteen aspiring chefs from Elior UK and Lexington have graduated from Elior’s award-winning Chef School: a 9-month training programme which gives people in non-culinary roles the skills and confidence they need to start their career as chefs.

The graduation lunch was hosted where Chef School began, at the Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham. The lunch was attended by more than 100 guests, who were served a Great British Picnic prepared by this year’s graduates.

Stuart Nisbet, who led the design and delivery of Chef School, said: “This isn’t just about skills training, it’s about giving people the confidence and opportunities they need to pursue their dream job and be a proud part of the hospitality industry.”

Now in its third year, Chef School has delivered 117% return on investment and seen 95% of its 32 graduates from the last two courses start their dream jobs as chefs – with many of this year’s intake expected to follow suit soon. Due to its increasing popularity within Elior and Lexington, Chef School doubled in size this year, opening a second school at Redbridge College, London.

Murray Tapiki, Development Chef at Lexington, said, “This is the first year we have run the London-based Chef School and it’s proving a real success. It’s wonderful to see students become more confident and put their new skills to use in the kitchen.’