Rob Kirby, Chef Director, at Lexington joined Vanessa Feltz, on BBC London Radio, to discuss the 2,100, reported chef shortage across the capital.
Some believe the situation is so serious that it threatens to put a stop to London being the dining capital of the world.
Rob talked about Lexington Catering’s apprentice programme, Lex School of Talent, and our new partnership with Galvin Restaurants to provide young talent with the very best training opportunities.
Rob said, “It’s important to get into schools and speak to young people early on to inspire them – being a chef is less about exam results and more about having the right attitude.
“We work with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts ‘Chefs Adopt a School’, working with over 20,000 children in schools across the country, where we help educate young people about food – talking about senses, tastes and flavours.”
Rob talked about how the industry has changed. He said, “Yes – you need to work hard as a chef but the industry has changed a lot. We work hard to look after our team, giving them fabulous training and development opportunities and making sure they have the right support.”
To listen click here (2 mins 47) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03f4w90
