Training and Development

We have been awarded the Investors in People (IiP) Gold Standard for our outstanding achievements in training and employment practices.

Our award-winning training and development practices support our team with training and development opportunities through:

• Mentoring and job swaps
• Formal training programmes and qualification
• Access to over 50 free short courses – these range from customer service skills to finance and coaching and mentoring skills

“The coaching I received as part of the Leadership Programme has been invaluable. The Programme has not only helped me personally but I have already been able to bring so much back into the business.” Lexington Catering, General Manager

Our award-winning Chef School, in partnership with our parent company, Elior UK, gives our teams the opportunity to gain new chef-based skills, perfect for General Assistants and Kitchen Porters who are looking to start a career as a chef.

As part of their training, previous students have worked alongside some of the industry’s biggest players, including Tom Kerridge, Claire Clark MBE, Jason Atherton, Anton Edelmann, and master chocolatier William Curley.

We launched our Chef Apprenticeship Scheme in 2011, working in partnership with Galvin’s Chance. The scheme provides a great opportunity for young chefs, new to the industry, to work within a supportive, stimulating and educational environment whilst gaining valuable NVQ qualifications.

We appreciate a good cup of coffee and take a lot of pride in our Baristas and coffee suppliers.

Our barista courses are varied to meet the needs of our team. They have the opportunity to gain a vocational qualification, as well as learning how to handle the coffee machine and the art of making a good coffee.

We also hold an annual BariStar of the year competition, which provides an amazing opportunity to get some invaluable experience with coffee suppliers, visit their facilities and learn more about coffee.

We are committed to growing and nurturing top talent and have designed a number of different development programmes to support aspiring leaders. These include our:

• Supervisor Development Programme: This was introduced to develop our top performing General / Catering Assistants and Receptionists with the skills, training, support and confidence they need to progress to a Supervisor role in the future
• One Team Leadership Programme: This is an interactive programme designed to help our team benefit from specialist expertise through individualised development, business insights, networking as well as opportunities to work on high profile business improvements

Both of these programmes run for 12-months and focus on developing great leadership skills, innovation and career progression.

We are proud to partner with the Westminster City Council Supported Internship program to provide valuable training and development opportunities. Through this program, young individuals with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can complete three distinct work rotations, each guided by a skilled job coach.

Over the past two years, we have had the pleasure of welcoming seven interns into our business through this initiative.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to help someone gain the skills and coaching they need to start their career. It’s a cause close to my heart, as many of us know someone with visible or hidden disabilities.” Paul Dancer, General Manager at Lexington Catering