More Than Kitchen Skills: My Time at Plateful Café
When I became Training Manager at Plateful Café, I brought almost twenty years of hospitality experience with me. I understood kitchens, service and the pressures of the industry, but this role taught me to look at hospitality in a completely different way. It showed me that a kitchen can be more than a workplace: it can be a place where people rebuild confidence, discover their abilities and begin to see new possibilities for themselves.
My main responsibility was to design and deliver an eight-week training programme for six learners from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. The programme covered the practical foundations of working in a commercial kitchen, including food safety, knife skills, vegetable preparation, cooking techniques, mise en place, teamwork and kitchen communication. As the course progressed, learners also took part in mock services, independent practical tasks and employability sessions designed to prepare them for the realities of applying for and starting work.
However, the most meaningful changes were not always the ones that could be measured through a practical assessment.
The group began the programme with different levels of English, previous experience and confidence. Some learners were comfortable speaking up, while others needed more time and encouragement before they felt able to ask questions or work independently. This meant adapting how I trained: using demonstrations, visual resources, repetition and clear language rather than relying solely on written instructions.
Watching participants become more comfortable in the kitchen was incredibly rewarding. Over time, people who had initially waited for reassurance began organising their own workstations, communicating with teammates and completing tasks with greater independence. Skills that appeared small on paper, calling out clearly, checking a temperature, preparing ingredients consistently or asking for help, represented important steps towards feeling capable and work-ready.
The experience also had a significant impact on me. I have always enjoyed training people, but Plateful helped me understand the difference between simply showing someone how to complete a task and creating an environment in which they feel safe enough to learn. It strengthened my patience, adaptability and ability to recognise progress that might otherwise be overlooked. It also reminded me that good training begins with understanding the person in front of you.
There were challenges. Delivering meaningful training with limited kitchen access and learners starting from different points required flexibility and creativity. Yet those challenges reinforced the importance of programmes like this. Refugees and asylum seekers often bring determination, knowledge and valuable life experience, but may face barriers that have little to do with their potential.
Plateful Café helps bridge that gap. It combines practical hospitality training with encouragement, structure and a genuine sense of belonging. For participants, it can be a step towards employment, independence and renewed confidence. For me, it has been an opportunity to grow as a trainer and to contribute to work with a clear social purpose.
I leave the Training Manager role proud of what we created and even more convinced that, when people are given the right environment and support, their potential can flourish.
– Sam Carter
