Fifteen London - Apprentice Programme - fundraising by Jamie Oliver's charity

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YOUR SIDE ORDERS: Extra information to whet your appetite...

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FIFTEEN LONDON

JAMIE OLIVER FOUNDATION

FIFTEEN CORNWALL

KOOKDROOM FIFTEEN AMSTERDAM FOUNDATION

CORNWALL FOUNDATION OF PROMISE

Everything you need to know about Fifteen’s Apprentice Programme

ds to grow. It’s a model that works and it nee will be supported ple peo If you can help, more young life. tive duc pro to build a meaningful and please contact: If you’d like to get in touch, e Fifteen’s Apprentice Programm 7LP N1 don Lon e, Plac 15 Westland +44 (0)20 3375 5502 www.jamieoliver.com/foundation Fifteen’s Apprentice Programme is part of the the Jamie Oliver Foundation, registered charity number 1094536.

Special thanks to Dogstar Design for their assistance in creating this brochure. It has bought Fifteen’s work to life and they’re proud to be sharing it with you. www.dogstardesign.co.uk

Fifteen uses the magic of food to give unemployed young people a chance to have a better future.

Introduction Fifteen is a restaurant group that trains young people to work in the hospitality industry. But that’s just one way to describe it...

It helps each bunch of new recruits to prepare for whatever life throws at them and it supports them in the future. It opens their horizons and ignites their ambition. And it’s fun.

You could also say Fifteen sets out to do something that is extremely difficult to do well; to turn around the lives of young people with few career prospects who are not in education, employment or training.

Founded by Jamie Oliver in 2002, Fifteen London is the flagship restaurant and training ground for young apprentices. Two other locations have followed the same inspirational model: Fifteen Amsterdam and Fifteen Cornwall.

Fifteen works because it gives young, unemployed people a taste of their own potential. Their journey begins with a one year apprentice programme and it’s a course which transforms lives. Fifteen is a bridge between a life with few prospects and a future in which anything is possible. This isn’t hype or exaggeration. Fifteen’s graduates are living proof. Fifteen’s Apprentice Programme is unique. Unique in its ambition, its approach, its vision, its success. It’s unique because it doesn’t simply train young people to become qualified to take a job.

“ They put a light on inside me that I never had before.” Ben Chapman, 2004 graduate

“The support team go out of their way to help.” Chantelle Town send, 2009 graduate

Fifteen & the Jamie Oliver Foundation Jamie set up Fifteen because he wanted to create new career opportunities for young people. Fifteen was a social enterprise like no other. And it worked. It was the first of Jamie’s charitable initiatives and the first step in fulfilling Jamie’s mission to educate and empower people through food. He seeks to do this through teaching, training and employment, and also by making good, clear information available to as many people as possible. Today, Jamie is the visionary force behind the Jamie Oliver Foundation. Under the Foundation, there are three charity activities: Fifteen’s Apprentice Programme Jamie’s ‘Feed Me Better’ School Dinners campaign Jamie’s Ministry of Food The charity also aims to set up a US-based subsidiary – the ‘Jamie Oliver Food Foundation’ – which will oversee a fourth activity called ‘Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution’. Profits from Jamie’s businesses and commercial activities support the Foundation and its work. But as the Foundation grows, so do the challenges and costs.

Whilst Fifteen is a busy and thriving restaurant, it needs ongoing support and funding. Mindful of the challenges Fifteen faces, those who work with Jamie get involved to raise funds and awareness, at every opportunity. They climb mountains and run marathons… literally! They also work to keep the Foundation on track, knowing that Fifteen’s future depends on it.

WHAT JAMIE SAYS... â&#x20AC;&#x153;I set up Fifteen because I believe young people have untapped talents, often hidden by problems in their home lives. These talents can be freed by a passion for good food and meaningful hard work. Fifteen represents the way I would have loved to have been taught myself; it embraces many of the things I love and feel passionate about, not only in the catering industry but also in friendship and family life.â&#x20AC;?

Making the food connection

All young people have a right to education, training and employment so that they understand who they are, what’s possible and where they’re going. Making the food connection is where progress starts. Understanding where food comes from, how to look after it, prepare it, cook it, present it and eat it is to understand the cycle of life.

We can’t live without food. And learning how to produce good food is, quite simply, confidence-building, respect-earning, life-affirming magic. The young people who’ve trained at Fifteen are now individuals with skills which cross continents, jump language barriers and open up a world of possibilities. And so many of them are doing brilliantly. They’re not just professionally qualified chefs. They’re outstanding ones...

Writing in The Wall Street Journal on November 9th 2010, Bruce Palling named Fifteen graduate Tim Siadatan as one of the ‘Top 10 Young Chefs in Europe’. Tim had opened his restaurant, Trullo, just a few months earlier: “ This has to be the best value Italian cuisine in London. The 28 year old got his break as an unemployed teenager, training under TV chef Jamie Oliver and then working at the fashionable Moro restaurant.”

FIFTEEN FACT

Fifteen doe sn’t train ch efs to simply m ake a living . It sets out to show them that they ca n achieve th eir greatest am bitions and that anythin g is possible .

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ON THE JOBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LEARNING Apprentices work with top quality, fresh ingredients. They work under the guidance of professional chefs who teach, inspire, organise, direct and ensure the Fifteen kitchen maintains its standards. Chefs help the apprentices learn everything from the basics of kitchen hygiene, routine and order, to preparing and creating outstanding dishes.

Outside the kitchen a dedicated support team is on-hand, from the initial interview stage through to the annual graduation ceremony and beyond. Their individual commitment to each apprentice, and insight into the challenges they face, helps them to cope with issues that could otherwise prevent them from staying the course. Every member of the team pulls together to share the benefit of their experience. They are passionate about their work. They are dedicated to helping apprentices discover and learn the skills involved in becoming a great chef. They teach them the importance of teamwork and the joy to be had from learning to appreciate the magic of food â&#x20AC;&#x201C; following the journey from raw ingredients through to the finished dish. In an age of convenience foods and artificial flavours, working at Fifteen is an in-depth education. It takes apprentices back to the very basics, teaching them skills and respect for artisan trades such as bakery, butchery and fishmongery. They gain a thorough grounding and a kind of knowledge that is as valuable as it is unusual. Here are some of the views of those who have given their time voluntarily to pass on their passion and expertise...

“There are many reasons why the apprentices enjoy bakery. Most chefs work with something that’s dead; we work with yeast that’s living. I disagree with people who say that bakery is an art. I think it’s a skill you acquire through repetition.” Kenny Rankin, Head Baker at Fifteen

“The Fifteen apprentices have always been a delight to work with. On their visits to the farm, and our visits to talk with them in their classroom, they always astound and impress me with their knowledge and challenging questions.” Lucy Carroll Director at Heritage Potatoes

“FISHMONGERY IS NOT AN ATTRACTIVE JOB... BUT I’VE DONE IT FOR 35 YEARS AND I STILL LOVE IT. I THINK IT APPEALS BECAUSE IT’S A DYING ART...I HAD NEVER HEARD OF FIFTEEN BUT WITHIN 10 MINUTES I WAS TOTALLY SMITTEN BY THE WHOLE ETHOS OF THE PLACE. I’VE BEEN TRULY BLESSED BY THOSE BOYS AND GIRLS. THEY ARE AN AMAZING BUNCH OF KIDS and working with them IS THE MOST FULFILLING THING I’VE EVER DONE.” Kevin Crowley Blockman at Murray’s Fresh Fish

“I never tire of seeing the young people learn and their excitement when they touch and smell the produce.” Gennaro Contaldo, Chef and Fifteen mentor

Training for work... And life Fifteen has evolved, developed, adapted and grown since it started in 2002. From the outset, the vision was to recruit only those who were unemployed and in need of a break in life.

Fifteen has an incredible training team. And with the support of specialists and trainers, they do their best to help with a range of complex issues which can get in the way of apprentices’ progress; from housing, debt, relationship problems, anger management and more.

Initially, many new apprentices have no concept of routine. Timekeeping, getting up early each day and putting in long hours doesn’t come easily. Many of those who train at Fifteen arrive with chaotic lifestyles. From the start they are welcomed into a busy, exciting and supportive environment which demands all their concentration and every bit of commitment.

At work, these young people are thrown into unfamiliar situations, serving demanding customers and working in a busy, high-pressured environment. It’s great but it’s challenging. So it’s no surprise that mentoring and practical support is as much a part of training as learning new skills.

The learning curve for new apprentices can be huge. It’s not surprising that a lot of these young people need help to adjust. Many have experienced challenges that prevent them from achieving their full potential.