Kent’s first innovation kitchen has been a vital component of a transformational project for young people training in the hospitality sector.
The EKC Innovation Kitchen at Broadstairs College offers food entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes access to high-end equipment and professional-grade facilities typically out of reach for smaller producers.
Now, thanks to the Nourish Grant Funding through Thanet council, a training kitchen in Margate has been able to scale up its operations and support more young people on their career journey.
The Perfect Place to Grow training kitchen and café, based at the former Edwardian morgue building within Tracey Emin’s TKE Studio site in Victoria Road/Dane Road, is the creation of Lee Coad, of seafood restaurants Angela’s and Dory’s, with Harry Ryder from Bottega Caruso and Thanet youth worker Anistasia James.
It supports 18 – 24-year-olds with the aim of giving them a path into employment through hands-on experience. An induction period of eight weeks is followed by trainees receiving the Real Living Wage as they work.
Due to high demand for their service, bosses at the Community Interest Company discovered the EKC Innovation Kitchen could help them to take their work to the next level.
Through use of the Innovation Kitchen, they’ve been able to branch out and create their new ready-meal product – a chickpea masala based on a recipe taught to them by a former trainee from Pakistan (shown above).
David Wilson, who is a chef and support worker at The Perfect Place to Grow, said: “The funding that we’ve received to deliver this project has been transformational to the young people that we work with.
“Some of those young people may not have stepped foot in a college without this experience.
“Looking at the opportunities moving forwards for these young people’s lives, knowing that educational institutions are accessible, and welcoming, and supportive of their aspirations and where they want to be makes such a difference.”
Kayla, who is a trainee at The Perfect Place to Grow, added: “When I first came to the EKC Innovation Kitchen, naturally I was quite overwhelmed, but it’s a really nice, friendly environment.
“It’s great what they do for young people, and I think it’s a good experience.”
The collaboration was a first for the EKC Innovation Kitchen, as service users have previously been small to medium businesses, while The Perfect Place to Grow is a Community Interest Company.
David Blair, who is a Technical Practitioner in Food Innovation at the EKC Innovation Kitchen, said the project’s significance comes from The Perfect Place to Grow’s investment in closing the gap between people in education and training, and those who are not.
“It’s a real significant problem,” he explained.
“I live in Margate myself, so I see the issues that these people are trying to address and they’re vital, they need addressing and this is the perfect place to do it.
“We’ve been really, really enthused and happy to be able to help them not only through the grant money that we’ve got but through our own time, our own interest, and our energy to help them in their work.”
