Chef Tom's top 6 recipes that you can whip up during lockdown
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11/12/2020
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Cooking can be that part of the day when you steal a little bit of ‘you time’. And to help you find your inner culinary master we spoke to Tom, Kitchen Skills Trainer at Nicholson’s. Tom decided to start a YouTube channel during the first lockdown to share some of his favourite recipes with our teams and keep spirits high. Tom started his chef career in 2006, before joining us as a Kitchen Manager at All Bar One six years ago. During this time he’s worked in various roles and has had the opportunity to work across 10 of the 13 different brands at M&B. He’s shared his top 6 recipes that you can whip up at home and the great news is that you don’t need to have worked in a chef job for years to make these meals a success.Chilli con carneWe’ve got to spill the beans on this one – that’s right, time to get cooking with kidney beans.This one is a classic and when it’s done right it’s the ultimate comfort food dinner. The best part about a chilli con carne is that you’ll only need one pan so you’re not left with a sink full of washing up. FajitasHere’s another recipe to spice things up a little. Fajitas are one of the easiest meals to whip up and when made with fresh ingredients it’s really cheap too. If you’re feeling fancy and want to make your seasoning from scratch it actually only takes a minute. But if your spice rack is still at a novice stage then you can pick up a pack of seasoning and you’ve got all the flavoured mixed up for you. This one’s proof that you don’t have to have a kitchen career behind you to serve up dishes packed with flavour. Stir FryWe’re taking you to another corner of the globe with one of the quickest and tastiest dishes – the stir fry. For your protein, you can pick between chicken, beef or tofu and as for the veg here’s your chance to get in as many as possible. Choose from peppers, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli and baby corn. And you know that famous phrase – wok hard, play hard. Flattened fillet steakNow you’re looking to impress with your cooking skills you’ll want a recipe that is easy to follow but will show that you know your way around a kitchen - enter the flattened fillet steak. Chef Tom serves his up with a rocket and parmesan salad and his top tip is to open the steak from the vacuumed packet around 20-30 minutes before cooking to let the meat breathe. You’ll be grilled with happiness after this meal! Pitta bread pizzaChef jobs teach you how to make a lot from a little and that definitely true with this recipe. All you need is to grill your pita bread, make a quick tomato base and top it with your favourites foods and any leftovers. Five minutes under the grill and they are good to go. With no dough to roll out, you could say this recipe isn’t kneady at all. Spiced roasted butternut squashLooking for a warm and hearty dish? This soup is rich, creamy and packed full of goodness. And any head chef worth their salt would know that it’s got to be served it up with a side of crusty bread. Whichever is your bread of choice – sourdough, ciabatta or a classic roll - just make sure you soak up every last drop of this super soup. Got a taste for more…These are some of our favourite recipes from Tom’s Teas YouTube channel and they’re definitely a feast for the eyes and the stomach. Perhaps you’re just discovering your passion for cooking and want some easy but delicious recipes. In that case, why not feed that curiosity and find out whether you could be a chef.
4 reasons why you're never too old to do an apprenticeship
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10/23/2020
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Apprenticeships were once just for 16-24 year olds so when you think of the programme chances are you immediately think of young adults who are fresh out of school. But not long ago the maximum age limit was scrapped and just last year 46% of apprentices in the UK were over 25-years-old - a huge jump in the numbers. We’re here to tell you that the programme is for people of all backgrounds and experience levels and dish up four reasons why you’re never too old to do an apprenticeship.It’s not about age, it’s about your attitudeIn case we haven’t made it clear already, we’ll say it one more time – apprenticeships aren’t just for young people. These programmes give an equal opportunity to everyone, offering the chance to train in a new area of work and start earning a living – one of the five reasons you’ll love an apprenticeship with M&B. So, what’s your story? Maybe you’ve been switching between industries to find what you’re good at or you fancy a challenge. Whatever you background, you’ll be happy to know that it won’t affect your chances of getting onto an apprenticeship. All you need is to be a team player, have a can-do attitude and a willingness to learn. You can rediscover your passion for learningIf you’ve been out for education or in a job for some time, chances are you won’t have been flexing your brain muscles as much as you could have been. You can still thrive in an apprenticeship and see it as your chance to rediscover your passion for learning. You’ll have better time-management skills and balancing your shifts with coursework will come much easier to you. Let’s be honest, classroom learning isn’t for everyone and if you’re anything like our apprentice Hannah then it can be a frustrating way to learn. An apprenticeship programme might be the perfect choice for you, placing you in control of how and when you learn.You’ll bring a unique outlookTeams that are made up of people from different areas, genders and with one age gap of 20 years are 87% better at making decisions – that’s an impressive difference but what makes them a dream team? Well, people from different backgrounds have their own way of doing things – a unique outlook. Those extra years may be just what an employer is looking for to add a little diversity to the team, so don’t let it put you off from applying! After all, they do say that with age comes wisdom.Your communication skills are invaluableCommunication is one of the top transferrable skills that employers look out for when searching for the next member of their team. So, you’re a great talker and could give any salesperson a run for their money, but when it comes to communication it’s also about being a great listener. Yes, some people are naturals when it comes to communication but for most people, it’s a skill that comes with time. The great news for you is that those extra years can make you more qualified for an apprenticeship programme.Fancy taking on a new challenge?Some of our most talented and ambitious colleagues join the company through an apprenticeship programme and we’re looking for more fun and driven people to join the M&B team. If you’re ready to serve up some success, a bar and waiting apprenticeship could be for you, or apply for our chef apprenticeships and show us you know your way around a kitchen. And that’s not all we’ve got – our management apprenticeships are the perfect opportunity to show you’re a born leader.
Try crunching these numbers
14,000
We serve around 14,000 tonnes of chips... which is the weight of 930 double decker buses!
380
Million
The number of drinks
we serve in a year.