Martin Foster: Apprentice Chef

19 March 2010

You might say that Martin Foster’s feet have never touched the ground since this Kendal College catering apprentice started working as a commis chef at the prestigious First Floor Café in Windermere.

Marco Pierre White, pictured with Martin Foster

As an apprentice, Martin has been regularly honing his skills by attending Kendal College one day a week – and is following in a number of famous culinary footsteps.  The First Floor Café, where Martin works, is run by Steven Doherty; who himself started out as an apprentice at the Savoy in London and later became the first ever British person to become Head Chef of a Three-Michelin Star establishment.  Steven has won many awards, notably at the Brown Horse at Winster and the Punch Bowl Inn at Crosthwaite as well as achieving the Master of Culinary Arts award.

“I had never done catering before” Martin confesses, “but I haven’t looked back since.  I’ve been so lucky to have had such a supportive boss and a great team of experienced tutors.”

Recently Martin was to meet another Michelin starred Chef who also started his career as an apprentice.  His tutor at Kendal College selected him to attend a masterclass with Marco Pierre White at his London restaurant ‘Wheelers’.  “It’s been a unique experience to see behind the scenes at a top restaurant. An unforgettable experience which has further fuelled my passion for chefing.”
Organised by the National Apprenticeship Service, Martin spent a morning learning how to prepare a range of dishes from the restaurant’s a-la-carte menu with Pierre White and his team.  As a keen advocate of Apprenticeships, Pierre White recommends aspiring chefs to seriously consider them.  ‘In my opinion, an Apprenticeship is a passport to a future career. Apprenticeships are the future.’  In agreement Simon Hansen, apprenticeship tutor at Kendal College, commented “apprenticeships are the perfect opportunity to pick up really valuable professional skills whilst holding down a job”.

To find out more about the various apprenticeships on offer, please contact Kendal College on 01539 814700 or visit the website www.kendal.ac.uk

The NAS was announced in January 2008 and officially launched in April 2009. Reporting to the Departments for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), the service will drive forward the Government’s ambition for Apprenticeships. The service aims to bring about a significant growth in the number of employers offering Apprenticeships.
The NAS takes total responsibility for the delivery of Apprenticeships which includes: Employer Services; Learner Services; and a web-based vacancy matching system.  This online system enables individuals to search and apply for live vacancies. Additionally, employers and training providers can advertise their vacancies to a wide range of interested applicants.
The service has ultimate accountability for the national delivery of targets and co-ordination of the funding for Apprenticeship places. It seeks to overcome barriers to the growth of the programme, assuming responsibility for promoting Apprenticeships and their value to employers, learners and the country as a whole.

For further information or to join on of these programmes contact Barbara Copeland, either by telephoning 01539 814752 or emailling barbara.copeland@kendal.ac.uk

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