Overall, what was your experience of the Apprenticeship?
“The Apprenticeship was not just coming here and learning what to cook and how to cook it. Sure, I learnt how to cook but it was so much more than that. It’s learning how to be organised, how to work as a team, how to clean up after yourself, how to trust yourself and how to use your instincts.”
What was the most useful thing you took away from the Apprenticeship?
“The overall skill of how to work in the workplace was very useful for me. That combined with having a contact in the industry – someone I could ask questions and to support me and put me in touch with other people.”
Are there any other ways in which you think the Apprenticeship has prepared you for having a career in the food world?
One thing I learnt was how to interact with others – it all made me much more confident about going into and working in a workplace.
I have been given a platform my EFS to build working relationships and earn an honest wage to support myself and my partner. EFS has helped me in many ways, especially to think and understand how to be customer focused and properly cater for them including allergens or dietary requirements.
Do you think this has had a wider impact on your life and will be beneficial for your future?
“Aye, it definitely made a difference to my life. I’ve got way more skills, I’m now classed as being employable and I’m more confident. After I left I went to college and this was a much more realistic training of what it’s like in the workplace.
Edinburgh Food Social definitely made a difference to my life. I’ve got way more skills, I’m now classed as being employable and I’m more confident. It was not just coming here and learning what to cook and how to cook it…it was so much more than that. It’s learning how to be organised, how to work as a team, how to clean up after yourself, how to trust yourself and how to use your instincts.
I am well equipped given my skills to carry out the task at hand. Given my past experience and the guidance of EFS i feel I could learn and advance my skills to go further in the industry I have been passionate about since I was a little boy. I am keen, inquisitive and good at working in a team. I can execute tasks on my own. I also have good communication skills. I am able to not only work but lead a team and delegate to get a task done and meet required deadlines. In my personal time I am caring as well as in the community I like to keep busy and lead as well live a very independent life.I am passionate in what I do, I love to experiment in new flavours, textures and theme specific ideas. I have experience of feeding large numbers of up to 1000 people in banqueting as well as smaller numbers of vulnerable people.
