Gold medal winner and world record holding Paralympian, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, presented 18 catering apprentices and trainees with their graduation certificates at a recent awards ceremony. Each one of the apprentices and trainees has a disability and the qualifications were gained through a specially created scheme run by Unity Kitchen.
Unity Kitchen is a chain of catering social enterprises run by a registered charity, The Camden Society. The cafes provide training and apprenticeship opportunities for people with learning disabilities, and profits are used to fund further training and employment opportunities.
Adam with Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE
Adam Biggs (left, with Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE), from Greenwich, has been working as an apprentice chef with Unity Kitchen at the Firepower Museum in Woolwich. He had already completed a Level 1 award in cooking but was determined to take the big step and attempt a Level 2 in food production and cooking, which he achieved in July this year. He successfully completed a two week work experience placement at Casa Grande, making fresh pasta and tweeting about his progress! Adam has recently got a new job at the Royal Parks – Greenwich Pavilion café.
Making the awards, Tanni Grey-Thompson, commented: “It is an honour for me to be presenting the certificates to the apprentices and trainees. It is important to celebrate their achievements and they can be proud to know that they have met the high demands of the scheme and have come through it with flying colours.
“Unity Kitchen is a pioneering scheme in the way that it allows those with learning disabilities to get into the industry.
“Having the Unity Kitchen Cafe at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is another way of fulfilling the legacy of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and it is has proved to be a great place for the graduates to fulfil their apprenticeships and training.”
