Providence Row’s catering and bakery trainee schemes have been endorsed by the Institute of Hospitality, a fantastic acknowledgement of the quality of the training they provide to people affected by homelessness.
The charity has been running the Catering Trainee Scheme for the last seven years having worked with over 200 trainees, food designers, and nutritionists and over 20 professional chefs at Andaz Hotel Liverpool Street.
Providence Row has two full-time trained chefs supporting and mentoring the trainees as well as a long-term partnership with local Andaz Hotel Liverpool Street which provides workshops and work experience placements. The Charity sought advice from food industry experts in the design of the training schemes and their kitchen is already 5* environmental health rated.
Enterprise and Training Manager Dominic Gates said “We work with people affected by homelessness, substance misuse and mental health who want to get back into work and build a new future for themselves. We pride ourselves on offering them excellent, professional and supportive training to give them the best possible chance, while also supporting them with any other issues in their life which could be holding them back. We’re absolutely thrilled to gain this prestigious endorsement, as it’s an acknowledgment of our team’s great work with some of East London’s most disadvantaged communities.”
Providence Row’s Catering Trainee Scheme has already been recognised by a number of bodies and has received several awards including: The Social Inclusion Award 2013 (with Andaz Hotel), DWP's Social Justice Award 2014 and was a finalist at the London Homelessness Awards 2015. The Bakery Trainee Scheme was a finalist in the Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards Training Programme Initiative of the Year in 2016 and two of their brownie products have won Great Taste Awards.
Judges particularly commended the philosophy of Providence Row, the content of the training schemes and the benefits they bring to clients.