The second intake of students for Simon Rogan’s Academy have begun their 16-month culinary journey.
Created in September of last year, the academy is run in collaboration with Kendal College.
The nine new students from across the UK, were successfully shortlisted for their places with the Academy from a pool of over 40 applicants.
This year’s student intake will now participate in one of two fully accredited courses, created in collaboration with Kendal College, covering either front of house or back of house. Both courses have been specifically designed to fully immerse each student in a unique hands-on learning programme, which will equip them with career defining skills, as they work and learn in one of the UK’s leading restaurant groups.
Simon Rogan said: “The academy has been inspiring to me and to the rest of the team. For us to see how the students from the first intake have progressed has been incredible, especially seeing the effort they’ve all put into making the best of the opportunities they’ve been presented with. The academy, is designed to identify and uncover the next generation of talent and it’s clearly doing its job, which is why I’m genuinely excited to see the talent we discover among this year’s students.”
Current Simon Rogan Academy student Harvey Simpson said: “Being part of the Simon Rogan Academy is the best thing that I’ve ever done. Being able to say that l work for Simon is a huge privilege for me, and l carry that with me every day, it’s one of the reasons why l push myself.
“There’s still lots for me to learn, which is why it’s great that the team around me supports me and makes sure that they have the time to continue to mentor me. I know if I have any queries or need any help with anything they’re always there to support me. I really love being part of this and can’t wait to see what lies ahead for me.”
Managing director of the Umbel Restaurant Group, Sam Ward said: “We set the Simon Rogan Academy up as a way of doing something to try and address the skills gap in the restaurant industry. We also wanted to show people that choosing a career in the industry can be really exciting, and potentially could take them anywhere in the world. It’s amazing working in this industry, being surrounded by people who are passionate and creative in everything they do just inspires you and brings the best out in everyone that’s exposed to that positivity. Hopefully, the Academy will play a small part in encouraging and inspiring our second intake of students to go on and do great things in their careers.’’
Richard Axford, head of faculty and service industries at Kendal College, said: “This course provides students with a fantastic opportunity to work with Simon and his team, as well as an opportunity to gain industry leading qualifications using our state-of-the-art training facilities.
“The academy concept allows us to both work together to give young people a real chance to pursue a career at the highest level in the hospitality industry, whilst nurturing and developing talent, which will hopefully be held up as a beacon of excellence and best practice in the sector.’’
