H&J’s first graduates, Archie Avery and Emma Harrison, have undertaken three years of cooking and at the age of just 20 have already cooked in many of H&J’s impressive venues such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Institute of Physics, Royal Society, Selfridges and the Financial Conduct Authority. 

Last week they were joined by H&J apprentices Tommy Judd, Lukas Aziri and Lewis Mendies, to cook at the 76 Portland Place, home to the Institute of Physics, where they prepared canapés and a three course meal for a group of H&J clients and team members. 

Owner and director Patrick Harbour was joined in celebrating the success of the apprentices by Dr Stuart Taylor, commercial director for the Royal Society, Nicholas DaCosta, conference services manager for the Royal Society, Kate Meehan, group head of corporate services at the Institute of Physics, Sarah Deadman, facilities and contracts manager for the Financial Conduct Authority and Louise Jordan, head of apprenticeships at Westminster Kingsway College, who have all helped support the apprenticeship scheme. 

“It was a pleasure to attend the excellent dinner prepared by the H&J apprentices and great to see the company’s continuing creativity and attention to detail passed on to a younger generation of very promising chefs,” said Stuart Taylor, commercial director for the Royal Society. 

Under the watchful eye of, Leo Rodley, executive chef at Institute of Physics, the apprentices created slow cooked salmon ballotine, horseradish cream and watercress salad followed by a main of free range Suffolk chicken, Jerusalem artichoke, potato dauphinoise and carrot puree with port glaze. Finishing off the evening was a sweet strawberry plate with balsamic jellies. 

Rodley added: “It is great to see how far the apprentices have come in the time they have been with the company. Now that we have our first graduates it would be great to see them take what they have learned and become integral members of their respected teams.”