Chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall launches apprenticeship scheme

The programme was born out of the Professional Cookery School, which focuses on sustainability, seasonality and ethical food procurement.

The scheme will be run at Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage business in Axminster, Devon, where chefs will be trained and ultimately earn a diploma in professional cookery.

There has been much interest from 16 to 19-year-olds for the course, which is supported by Government funding and, therefore, free to successful applicants. Just under 40 places are available with applicants invited to apply from now until 8 April.

"There has been a renaissance in British restaurant cookery in recent years, not just in terms of the style of cooking and techniques now being employed, but also in the approach of chefs to sourcing their food, embracing good provenance, and choosing their recipe," said Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Applicants will be invited to enter a competition to work for a year at Park Farm and become the face of the 2013/14 River Cottage Young Apprenticeship Scheme.

"Apprentices not only make an invaluable contribution to their employer, but to the economy as a whole," said deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, speaking at the ‘made by apprentices’ campaign launch during National Apprenticeship Week last week.

"We’ve seen a record number of businesses clamouring to take on apprentices and that’s because they know what a huge difference the talent and ambition they bring can make."