The refurbished training and development centre, Academy 1851, opened at St Austell Brewery’s base in Cornwall on 4 November to offer practical training courses.
Courses include specialist barista training, cellar management, food hygiene and advanced wines and spirits. Courses can be delivered on site at the customer’s premises.
Jackie Scarfe, people director at St Austell Brewery, said: “St Austell Brewery has achieved incredible growth over the years, and we firmly believe that our success is due in large part to investing in our workforce, as by giving staff the very best training available, they grow along with the business.
“We are delighted to be able to widen the industry-leading training we offer with the launch of Academy 1851, which will directly benefit businesses across the South West in the hospitality sector.”
Academy 1851 takes its name from the year St Austell Brewery was founded, with the company known to be one of the oldest businesses in Cornwall.
“The facility will enable those working in pubs, hotels, restaurants and bars across the region to take advantage of the expertise, knowledge and experience we have accrued over the years,” Scarfe said.
“It is essential, especially in the South West, that we meet the ongoing challenges of recruiting and retaining staff in the hospitality industry, and our aim in creating Academy 1851 is to help businesses in this field to find it easier to support their staff to develop their careers, making their job prospects more attractive, and helping to keep the best staff in the region.”
St Austell Brewery is one of only 30 independently family-owned brewers in the UK.
The brewery owns 167 pubs and inns across the South West, and employs over 1,000 people
St Austell is Grade 1 accredited with the BIIAB Bench Marketing and Accreditation Services, as well as a registered provider for the Wine & Spirits Education Trust and Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
It also works closely with the BIIAB, CPL and Truro and Penwith College to ensure all of its training courses remain at the highest industry standard.
For more information about Academy 1851 and the training courses available, visit www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/