You’re Hired! Celtic Manor Finds its Young Apprentice
Posted at 01:12 on 19 December 2012
“You’re hired!” Lord Sugar may still be looking for his Young Apprentice on the popular BBC TV show, but Culinary Director Peter Fuchs has found his first trainee chef at The Celtic Manor Resort.
Matt Friswell, 17, from Cwmbran, is the first recruit for a new Chefs’ Apprentice Programme at the five-star resort in Newport, South Wales.
He will spend 18 months in the kitchens of Celtic Manor’s six restaurants and convention centre, learning skills from pastry to banqueting, and from butchery to fine dining.
“It’s a really great opportunity to learn from some top chefs at a place like this,” said Mr Friswell, who was recruited after completing a work placement through Torfaen Training.
“I’ve wanted to work in food since I was about 12 - when I saw a chef give a really interesting demonstration at the Abergavenny Food Festival. I’ve already learnt loads in my time here and I’m looking forward to seeing the whole business in the next year and a half.”
A former Executive Head Chef at the resort, Mr Fuchs has made re-establishing a formal training programme one of his priorities since rejoining Celtic Manor as Culinary Director last year.
He said: “We want to recruit more young chefs onto the apprentice programme in the new year. When I came back to the resort it was very satisfying to see that many of the chefs and sous-chefs here had come through a training scheme we had here before.
“We want to revive that training ethos and build a reputation as a centre of excellence for trainee chefs, where they will get the chance to use the best food ingredients in a high-quality kitchen environment.”
The Chefs’ Apprentice Programme is part of a Celtic College training structure at the resort which is a recognised Investor in People and committed to the development of its staff.
For more information on training and employment opportunities visit celtic-manor.com/careers or call the Recruitment Officer on 01633 410281.