Think hospitality apprenticeships are just about learning on the job? Think again.
Maybe you’ve heard you need loads of experience to get started. Or that apprenticeships are only for school leavers. Or perhaps you’ve got it in your head that an apprenticeship means spending all day stuck in a classroom.
Let’s clear a few things up.
A hospitality apprenticeship can be a brilliant way to get your foot in the door, earn while you learn and build real skills in a fast-moving industry. And at M&B, there are plenty of opportunities to learn, grow and find out where a career in hospitality could take you.
So, let’s separate fact from fiction.
Myth 1: You need hospitality experience to start an apprenticeship
The truth: you don’t need to be a hospitality expert before you begin.
In fact, that’s rather the point.
An apprenticeship is designed to help you learn while gaining practical experience. You’ll be working alongside people who know their stuff, picking up skills as you go and getting to grips with what it’s really like to work in hospitality.
You might not know your way around a kitchen yet. You might never have pulled a pint. You might be completely new to the industry. And that’s okay.
What matters is having the right attitude, being willing to learn and enjoying working with people. The rest can come with time, training and a fair bit of getting stuck in.
And there’s something pretty satisfying about looking back at your first shift and seeing how far you’ve come.
Myth 2: Hospitality apprenticeships are only for school leavers
The truth: apprenticeships aren’t just for people fresh out of school.
You could be looking for your first job, thinking about a career change or simply wondering what’s next. An apprenticeship can give you the chance to learn new skills while getting genuine experience in the workplace.
And hospitality is a particularly interesting place to do it.
It’s an industry where no two days are quite the same. You’ll meet plenty of different people, learn how to handle busy shifts and develop skills that can stick with you throughout your career.
So, if you’ve been thinking, “Am I too old for a hospitality apprenticeship?”, think again!
Your age isn’t a factor here; we're more interested in your potential, your attitude, your ambition, and your willingness to learn. These are the behaviours that we look for in interviews.
Myth 3: Apprentices spend all their time in a classroom
The truth: you’ll be learning where the action happens.
An apprenticeship combines practical experience with structured learning. So, instead of simply sitting in a classroom talking about what a hospitality job is like, you get to experience it for yourself.
You’ll learn by doing.
That could mean developing your customer service skills, learning how a kitchen operates, understanding what makes a great team or building the skills you need to take your next step.
And let’s be honest, hospitality is not exactly an industry where you can learn everything from a textbook.
You need to get stuck in. You need to work with people. You need to experience the buzz of a busy service and learn how to keep your cool when things get hectic.
That’s where the real learning happens.
Myth 4: An apprenticeship won’t lead to a proper career
The truth: an apprenticeship can be the start of something much bigger.
This is probably one of the biggest myths around apprenticeships.
Starting at entry level doesn’t mean staying there.
Hospitality is full of different career paths, and the skills you build early on can open doors to your next opportunity. You could discover a real passion for food and work towards becoming a chef. You might find you’re a natural leader and want to move into management. Or perhaps you discover a completely different side of the hospitality industry that you hadn’t considered.
At M&B, there are opportunities to develop your skills and progress across our pubs, restaurants, bars and brands.
In this year’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers rankings, M&B was named the 7th best apprenticeship employer in England, moving up eight places from last year. We were also named the Top Hospitality Apprenticeship Employer, as voted for by our own apprentices through Higherin.
Still not convinced that an apprenticeship can set you up for a successful career? M&B’s Chefs’ Academy apprenticeship programme is a pretty tasty example. The programme has been awarded the prestigious Princess Royal Training Award for the second time, recognising its commitment to developing culinary talent. With more than 200 learners supported each year, it has a 90% completion rate and a 79% promotion rate, showing that an apprenticeship can be a genuine route to progression, not just a way to get your first foot in the door.
It’s recognition of the work that goes into giving apprentices the chance to learn, develop and progress, and the career paths that can open up afterwards.
Your first role doesn’t have to define your whole career.
It’s just your starting point.
And who knows? The person joining their first apprenticeship today could be leading a team a few years from now.
Myth 5: Hospitality apprenticeships aren’t worth it
The truth: you can earn, learn and build experience at the same time.
So, are hospitality apprenticeships worth it?
If you’re looking for a way to gain practical experience while developing your skills, they’re certainly worth a look.
You’re getting the chance to learn in a real working environment, build confidence, meet new people and understand what it takes to succeed in hospitality.
And there are the skills you pick up along the way, too.
Communication. Teamwork. Time management. Problem-solving. Leadership.
They might not all sound like hospitality skills, but they’re the ingredients that can help you build a career in just about any industry.
Plus, there’s something to be said for learning while you’re earning.
Ready to get your hospitality career cooking with an apprenticeship?
Here’s the thing: you don’t need to know exactly where you’re heading. You just need to be willing to give it a go.
Your first day might be spent learning the ropes. A few months later, you could be taking on more responsibility, picking up new skills and wondering why you didn’t start sooner.
And that’s the beauty of hospitality. There’s always another skill to learn, another challenge to get stuck into and another opportunity around the corner.
So, if you’ve got the appetite to learn, bring it on.
Ready to see what you’re capable of? Explore M&B apprenticeship opportunities and take your first step towards a career with plenty on the menu.
