At Ottolenghi, we celebrate individuality. It's what fuels the creativity of our food and the warm hospitality we offer our guests. This extends to how we approach career development. We hone in on individual aspirations and learning styles, supporting our colleagues to forge a path to succeed in their chosen careers.
Our learning and development team work with managers to create personalised development plans. This offers our colleagues the space to learn and be exposed to different sides of hospitality. We collaborate with internal departments and call on the expertise of suppliers and well-regarded service providers to help us offer well-rounded support and unbeatable exposure to the industry’s best chefs.
From knife skills to Mauritian cooking, wine tastings to butchery classes, we invite everyone at Ottolenghi to join our test kitchen workshops.
The test kitchen has opened their doors to winemakers, talented chefs (within and beyond Ottolenghi), and industry insiders eager to share their expertise. Whether it's cooking dishes from a specific region, uncovering the magic of spices, or sharing invaluable industry experiences, our workshops are designed to inspire and educate.
We bring in the experts to train our team in management skills, inclusive leadership, mental health first aid and feedback sessions. We're proud to have partnered with Le Cordon Bleu, Kelly’s Cause and Leith’s Cookery School, amongst many training providers.
Currently, we are working with Blenheim Forge on knife sharpening skills, as well as building a chef skills programme with Leith’s Cookery School. We also offer our front of house team members the opportunity to complete WSET courses in wine and spirits, up to the level decided by them.
Over the years, we've visited wheat farms with Wildfarmed, helped harvest fruit and veg at Wolves Lane, and picked grapes in Moravia. Building close relationships with our suppliers and being intimately connected to our produce creates boundless creativity in our kitchens.
We are fortunate to be able to offer genuine lifelong careers in hospitality, we foster talent, putting people at the heart of everything that we do.
