WITH young people’s jobs and career prospects hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic in recent months, leading Lake District restaurant The Cottage in the Wood is forging ahead when it comes to inspiring Cumbria’s next generation of industry leaders
Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, which runs next week from February 8 to 14, the Michelin-starred Cottage in the Wood in Whinlatter Forest is offering its four newest recruits a combination of apprenticeships and on-the-job training in partnership with the University of Cumbria.
All in their 20s, the full list of new staff starting at the Cottage in the Wood this spring will be Cockermouth-based Sophie Court-Oak and Josh Crowther, along with Daisy Wright from Wigton and Heli Seymour, who is originally from Parsonby near Aspatria.
28-year-old Heli will be developing her skills as a sommelier while working towards her Senior Leader Master’s degree apprenticeship. She recently moved back to Cumbria following several roles in the Scottish wine trade, including a wine importer, a small distillery, and a wine wholesaler.
She said: “I spent last March’s lockdown in Cumbria and reconnected with a love of the Lakes and the lifestyle it provides.
“So I jumped at the prospect of the sommelier job with a small Cumbrian business which not only operates at a Michelin-starred level, but also has a fantastic energy and friendliness about it.
“I’m particularly looking forward to interacting with guests and advising them in a knowledgeable but down-to-earth way.”
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Sophie Court-Oak and Daisy Wright, 23, will both be starting their Chartered Manager Degree apprenticeships at the University of Cumbria in 2021.
Although Daisy’s first job was in administration, she has redirected her attention to gaining practical hands-on training in food and beverages, while Sophie’s long-term goal is to own her own café.
The Cottage in the Wood’s fourth recruit, Josh, will be starting a six-month stint in the kitchen this spring. The placement is part of the Government’s Kickstart Scheme to create new job opportunities for 16- to 24-year-olds and will be a rare opportunity to help with food preparation behind the scenes at a Michelin-starred restaurant and develop specialist skills such as bread making.
It comes as a fifth member of staff, Emily Leadbetter-Cooper, recently finished her Production Chef apprenticeship in conjunction with Kendal College, as a building block to a long-lasting career in hospitality