Butlin’s launches brand-new Chef Academy


Butlin’s, the home of entertainment, has launched its brand-new Chef Academy with spaces available at all three resorts – Bognor Regis, Skegness and Minehead.

The Butlin’s Chef Academy has been designed to give aspiring chefs the perfect platform to learn, grow and develop industry skills in a yearlong programme. This comprehensive apprenticeship is a year-long programme giving ambitious chefs the perfect platform to get into the industry and gain a professional qualification.

The course starts with two-weeks training in a purpose-built test kitchen close to the Minehead resort. Chefs will be introduced to practical kitchen skills by training in a professional kitchen environment.

This is followed by on resort coaching where the chefs will work in up to five different restaurants, developing skills to be flexible in a range of kitchens. A mentor will be assigned to each chef who will regularly check their progress and support however possible.

A unique highlight of the Chef Academy will be five week-long skills and knowledge masterclasses where Butlin’s has partnered with industry experts such as McCains, Billingsgate Fish Market and Birtwhistles.

This higher-skills training will start with a two-day experience of a particular food theme developing each chefs’ culinary skills where they will need to plan, order and execute a menu based upon their theme. Themes include Asian cookery, gala dinners, Patisserie, street food and vegan cooking.

final masterclass rounds off everything the chefs have learnt over the year with a trip to a European culinary hub.

The Butlin’s Chef Academy offers clear career growth opportunities with progress path within the company. On completion each chef is guaranteed a rate of pay that is above industry average in relation to their position in kitchen.

Toby Hill, Senior Development Chef at Butlin’s, said. “We’re delighted to be launching the very first Butlin’s Chef Academy. This has been years in the making and is the perfect platform for anyone wanting to get into the industry. It gives a real potential for growth and development in the kitchen.

“It’s a unique and fun programme where we work with industry experts to get the very best out of our chefs. We wanted to launch an academy that stands out from the crowd and the masterclass weeks certainly do that.

'They will enable our chefs to really develop a higher level and more diverse skills based upon their experience in the industry. We can’t wait to welcome chefs to the programme and see them progress through their career at Butlin’s.”

Due to the location of each resort support is available when needing to relocate on resort accommodation.