Beyond Food Foundation, the charity that uses food as a catalyst to break the cycle of homelessness, has commenced its 2020 with Fresh Life, a three-week series of workshops that use food to motivate and inspire by providing training on nutrition and cooking skills.
The charity – which this year has collaborated with well-known chefs such as Gizzie Erskine, Calum Franklin, John Campbell and Chris King, as well as events such as Meatopia – provides skills development and career support within hospitality and will work to support 66 disadvantaged Londoners into full time employment over the next two years. This will include employing 16 new apprentices to undertake its own two-year, fully qualified training scheme at social enterprise restaurant Brigade Bar + Kitchen.
The programme begins with Fresh Life, a series of workshops for those who have experienced, or been at risk of, homelessness.
Fresh Life uses food to motivate and inspire by providing training on nutrition and basic cooking skills. Those who complete the programme are given the opportunity to apply for Get Stuck In, a work experience placement in a professional kitchen, which is followed by United Kitchen, a two-year apprenticeship at Brigade Bar + Kitchen for 16 apprentices. For those interested in life outside of the kitchen, the team also offers front of house training (Out Front). Following this, Beyond Food will provide signposting sessions, with a view to supporting a further 50 candidates into full time employment across a range of organisations.
Since launching eight years ago Beyond Food has trained hundreds of apprentices into jobs and given thousands of homeless people new skills. The project has seen apprentices go on to secure work in esteemed kitchens such as Searcys, the Mondrian Hotel, The Savoy and The Conduit Club.
Simon Boyle, chef founder of Brigade and Beyond Food commented: “Beyond Food is about inspiring futures beyond homelessness and, given the scale of the homelessness crisis in our capital, can make a real difference to people’s lives. We’re reaching out to more beneficiaries than ever before, providing skills development, training and, ultimately, the chance to undertake a fully qualified, paid apprenticeship scheme in a top-class kitchen.”