What we do
Barnardo’s Dr B’s trains young people to achieve their NVQ qualifications in food preparation and cooking. They can also train a person in Food Service plus a variety of other qualifications. We work with all young people with some on day contracts from school whilst others train with us after leaving school. The trainees may need additional support. This may include support with:
- literacy and numeracy
- their speech
- their personal hygiene
- their behaviour or their attitude.
They may have suffered abuse, neglect or homelessness and they are struggling to find a part of the community which they can fit into. We give everyone individual support to learn how to work and get a job.
Dr. B’s offer training in:
- food preparation and cooking in NVQ levels 1 and 2
- food and drink services NVQ Levels 1 and 2
- kitchen portering NVQ Level 1
- hospitality quick service NVQ Level 2
- business administration Levels 1 and 2
- basic food hygiene certificate
- basic health and safety certificate
- literacy, numeracy etc.
Secondly, we run a restaurant, coffee shop and outdoor catering business which provide a real work environment in which these young people can work. This way they can train and learn according to a work ethic which may be new and difficult. We have real customers who come in and expect to find a high standard of catering offered to them either here or in an outdoor environment where the trainees can transfer their knowledge to various situations.
Our restaurant is open to the public from 9am to 3.30pm each week day serving coffees, scones etc. Hot specials are served between 12 noon and 2pm. We occasionally open on evenings and weekends which are usually by private booking. Our thriving outdoor catering business is operational 7 days a week daytime or evening, which offers the opportunity for the trainees to work in different situations and to transfer the skills they learn at Dr B's to new environments.
