Carluccio's opens in-house training academy above Islington restaurant
The academy, which will be able to accommodate up to 12 chefs at any one time, will include a training kitchen, video-linked classrooms and will form part of the company's intensive chef training programme.
Best-in-class
Simon Kossoff, Carluccio’s chief executive, said the academy would help improve standards across its growing estate of hospitality operations.
“We are tremendously excited by our new training academy as it means we can offer best-in-class development and training to our team at all levels and, in particular, support our commitment to producing most of our food fresh from scratch in each store."
The announcement makes the firm, founded in 1999, the latest hospitality business to make the move into in-house chef training with a number of hotels in particular choosing to improve consistency and standards with an academy.
- Guoman Hotels launched a chef academy in 2008 with the aim of training new and existing staff members.
- In 2009 QHotels also opened an academy closely followed by Barcelo Hotels which launched its chef training academy to train potential new, young chefs.
- In the last year hotel operators such as IHG and Accor have opened physical training centres while the Edge Hotel School and Blue Training UK have cemented the growing relationship between academies and actual hospitality businesses.
- A number of restaurant chains including Gaucho and Red Hot World Buffet have seen the value in in-house academies as explained in our recent training feature which included tips and advice for all level of restaurateur.
Carluccio's
The Carluccio's academy will use internet-based video technology to allow courses and modules to be broadcast direct to Carluccio’s restaurants
in the UK and abroad so other team members can watch the training sessions live.
Chefs at the chain currently undergo a programme which includes a 14-week NVQ-certified course while head chefs spend three weeks every year at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners chef's school in Piedmonte.
Carluccio’s currently operates 67 restaurants in the UK and seven venues around the globe with plans, announced earlier this year, to grow to 100 site in the UK by 2015 and double its international presence.
Carluccio's is currently recruiting for a number of chef and front of house positions - for more details and to apply visit BigHospitality jobs here.
