DCG helps Berkeley Inns prepare staff for hospitality sector re-opening
Published On Tuesday 11 May 2021 by Sticky Beak
See Recent News Articles
Berkeley Inns, the rapidly expanding pub restaurant group, is working with Derby College Group (DCG) to upskill and develop its staff as the hospitality sector prepares to reopen on May 17.
Around 50 staff – a quarter of the company’s 200-strong workforce – have received training in areas such as food safety and customer service via Roundhouse Thinking, the college’s professional training and executive education provider.
So far, 30 Berkeley Inns’ staff have completed the Level 2 Certificate in Customer Service Principles, and 16 have taken the Level 2 Food Safety award with the college. In addition, premises managers are taking the Personal Licence Holders Level 2 course online, which includes a zoom call and invigilation via webcam.
First established in November 2014, Berkeley Inns now has five characterful pub restaurants across rural Derbyshire and Staffordshire. They are The Horseshoes in Long Lane Village, Derbyshire, the Cock Inn at Mugginton, The Cow at Dalbury Lees, the Meynell Ingram Arms in Hoar Cross and the Bluebell Inn at Kirk Langley, which reopens in June after undergoing renovation and extension.
Erin Harris, Berkeley Inn’s HR manager, said Berkeley Inns had established a good working relationship with the College over the past six months and was impressed with its training programme.
She added: “The team at Roundhouse Thinking are extremely efficient and make the whole process of arranging and delivering staff training so much easier.
“They also brought to our attention the various free and discounted funding streams open to us, such as the Adult Education Budget and the ESF High Level Skills Programme.”
Erin added: “The customer service qualification is online distance learning and conveniently fits in with employees’ home, work and learning commitments. Some of our people are at school, college or university so we don’t want to overload them with more study.
“For the food safety course, staff were able to train in person, at a social distance. We opened one of our pubs, the Cock Inn at Mugginton, and Derby College came out specially to deliver the training.
“Many of our staff already have diplomas and other hospitality industry qualifications but taking this additional training has been a useful refresher for them. It’s helped build their skills and confidence as they return to work after months on furlough.
“It’s been a difficult time for hospitality, but we’ve taken advantage of lockdown to develop our staff and plan to continue working with Roundhouse Thinking.”
For more information about training programmes and funding support available through DCG’s Roundhouse Thinking offer, please visit https://www.derby-college.ac.uk/employers or email businessenquiries@derby-college.ac.uk
| Relaunch party marks expansion milestone for New Era Square success story Panenka Bar & Grill has just unveiled its brand-new look at a glitzy VIP launch party. Guests from the worlds of media, sport and entertainment raised a glass to Read The Article | |
| Every Pud Counts: Longbow Venues Donates £1 From Desserts To Local & National Charities Longbow Venues is highlighting the impact of its £1 dessert donation initiative, which turns every pudding served across its Peak District Read The Article | |
| Losehill House: Unique Luxury Peak District Hotel Marks 111 Years With Refreshed Branding Losehill House Hotel, a unique luxury four-star boutique retreat nestled in the heart of the Peak District's Hope Valley, is celebrating its 111th Read The Article | |
| Families Are Bringing Children To Fine Dining - And Losehill House Hotel Is Leading The Way Fine dining is no longer reserved for adults. Across the UK and overseas, chefs and restaurateurs are noticing the same shift: families Read The Article | |
| The Peak District's Spookiest Walk: Haunted Heritage at The Cupola this Halloween This Halloween, visitors are invited to step into the Peak District's darkest tales with eerie twilight walks through Stoney Middleton Read The Article | |
| Longbow Venues Launches 'My Longbow' App, Among The First Multi-Venue Loyalty Apps In Peak District Members earn points on food and drink, enjoy birthday bubbles, monthly treats and exclusive venue offers across Derbyshire Read The Article | |
| 12000 Steaks, Triple-Cooked Chips, and a 'Disgraceful' Amount of Butter Between them, two Derbyshire restaurants serve more than 12,000 steaks every year - and now, for the first time, their Executive Chef is lifting the lid Read The Article | |
| The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow Wins AA Hotel of the Year Award The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow has been awarded the AA Hotel of the Year Award 2025 following a ceremony in London last night, with the inspectors commenting on how the Read The Article | |
| Longbow Venues Conquers Peak District Challenge, Raising £6k+ for Children's Hospital On Tuesday 2nd September, twenty five colleagues from independent Peak District hospitality business, Longbow Venues, laced up their Read The Article | |
| Soaring demand drives Panenka's expansion plan ahead of 2nd birthday One of Sheffield's most successful leisure destinations is marking the countdown to its second anniversary with a major new investment. Read The Article | |