More on offer at school for landlords
Sarah Halpin, head of school, Steve Bramley and Aly Greenway in the training cellar at Castle Rock Brewery
Aly Greenway, a former environmental health officer in Nottinghamshire, has joined the team of brewers, licensees and pub operators at Castle Rock Brewery to add first aid and food safety to the syllabus at the brewery’s learner to licensee training school.
As the number of candidates approaches 500 since the school opened in early 2015, training centre manager Sarah Halpin invited Aly to join the team so that all aspects of training and certification to the industry-recognised BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) accreditation could take place within a week, and at a single venue.
“Our original intention was to up-skill employees in our 20 Castle Rock pubs, and indeed three quarters of the trainees are our colleagues,” says Sarah. “But as time has passed, more individuals, looking for a career in hospitality, alongside employees of other pub operating concerns, are signing up to learn the multiplicity of laws and regulations that keep pub-goers and neighbourhoods safe.
“We aren’t alone in offering this service, indeed we partner other trainers locally giving them access to our cellar, brewery and pubs as training venues. We are able to bring over 45 years’ experience in the trade to the wider public.”
Under current licensing laws, all sales of alcohol in a pub, bar, supermarket or off-licence must be authorised by a personal licence holder.
The British Institute of Innkeeping is a national charity which raises professional standards across the sector. Its award winning body is the sixth largest vocational qualification awarding body in the UK with training given by over 600 approved training centres. Castle Rock Brewery gained accreditation in 2014 and has a 98 per cent pass rate from the independent examining body for all its previous courses.
Applications to Castle Rock’s first all inclusive learner to licensee course, to be held from Monday 1 February, can be made to Sarah Halpin through the Castle Rock Brewery website and by phone.
