In support of National Apprenticeship Week, we decided to shine a light on the brilliant work one of our members is doing to develop the next generation of commercial catering talent.
Sylvester Keal, part of our buying consortium, has brought through several apprentice commercial kitchen engineers over the last few years.
Each apprentice is given structured training, hands-on experience, and the opportunity to earn while learning the tricks of the trade.
These young engineers are the future of the industry and will play a vital role in ensuring professional kitchens function safely and efficiently for years to come.
We spoke to them to find out why they chose to join the industry and what they hope to achieve.
Alfie Lear, Apprentice Service Engineer
I came across the role by word of mouth. The interview was understandably a nerve-wracking experience for me, but I really enjoyed it and thought I did well, which made me feel good about myself.
I was fresh to the industry and didn’t have much technical knowledge, so in the beginning I spent the day with one of Sylvester Keal’s senior engineers.
In the beginning, it was as simple as just watching and observing them in action, learning different techniques. Over the years, as I gained experience, they trusted me to complete jobs independently with their supervision.
This was a great way of learning, and I picked up some valuable skills from being given this responsibility.
The fact Sylvester Keal has different departments has been crucial to my development. I’ve not only learnt electrical testing, but through working with the projects department, I’ve learnt some valuable life skills, such as plumbing, which is obviously an important skill to have.
As an apprentice, I feel very highly valued. Any issues I’ve had, I’ve felt comfortable talking to my line manager. I’ve received extra support with my college work, too, which has been brilliant—when you’re working and doing college work, there can be a lot on your plate, but my colleagues have been great with me.
They’ve given me extra training courses, which is massively helpful. They’ve put me up for other qualifications, and I’ve gained much more industry knowledge as a result.
As I approach the end of my apprenticeship scheme, I’m being given more freedom to do jobs alone, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what the future holds.
Ben Plaskitt, Apprentice Service Engineer
When I was in school, everybody said, ‘Get your A Levels and go to university.’. But the more I looked into studying for an apprenticeship, the more I realised it was what I wanted to do.
You’re learning while earning and getting a head start in life. I saw this as a brilliant opportunity to break into an exciting industry, earn money while I’m young, and save for a house deposit.
I saw Sylvester Keal was advertising for an apprenticeship. I spoke to family and friends, and they encouraged me to go for it. I had the interview and got offered the job. It was as straightforward as that—I was buzzing to get started.
The goal at the start was to learn the basics and work my way up from there, and that’s exactly what I’ve done.
Sylvester Keal has supported me so much in my development. They send me out with engineers every day, and I’ve learnt such an array of skills. Even doing a job like washing the vans has taught me so much about how to keep things properly maintained. I’ve also learnt how to diagnose problems, fit parts, and communicate with the customer. These are all highly valuable life skills that will stand me in good stead.
Being a commercial catering engineer is such a unique profession that has a bit of everything. You get to learn the ins and outs of plumbing, gas, and electrical. It’s a real hands-on job that gives you all the skills you need for getting through life, I suppose!
Jessica Campbell, Service Administrator
I didn’t really know a thing about the commercial catering industry. It was very new to me, and I didn’t appreciate the scale of it. I can’t believe how big the industry actually is!
I came across this opportunity quite randomly. I was on study leave whilst doing my A Levels, and I had some time to start thinking about my future. I knew I didn’t want to go to university, so I was looking on the government’s apprenticeship website for job opportunities and came across an advertisement for a business admin role at Sylvester Keal.
When I found out the role involved engineering, I knew it was for me. I’ve been interested in engineering from an early age, and when I was at school, I enjoyed hands-on subjects like art, design and technology, and PE. From that point of view, this role aligns perfectly with my interests.
I recognised the name Sylvester Keal and saw that it’s a family-run business. This, again, was a major factor in my decision. Family-run businesses tend to be close-knit and have a lot of respect for their employees, as I’ve found from working here. Everyone helps and supports each other, and you feel like you’re working together to achieve a common goal, which is really nice.
When I started working here, I began doing business admin, which is learning how to do administration. I also learnt the basics of the commercial catering industry and the processes behind it.
As I developed, I was given the responsibility of looking after the annual servicing for our entire customer base. Then, as I was coming to the end of my business admin apprenticeship, I decided I’d like to progress into leadership and management.
I’m now studying for a leadership and management qualification, with a view to studying at degree level and moving into a management role in the future.
I’ve been here nearly three years now, and I’m so happy in my role. I know what I’m doing, what’s expected of me, and where I can progress to.
I think apprentices like me will massively shape the future of the commercial catering industry by bringing fresh, innovative ideas to the table.
We’re resilient, and we’ll be able to adapt to the problems and challenges the industry throws our way as it continues to evolve and new systems start coming through.
Noah Lawson, Apprentice Service Engineer
My job isn’t a job that everyone knows about—it’s quite a niche trade. To be honest, I didn’t know about the catering industry before joining Sylvester Keal, but I always had an interest in doing a hands-on job involving tools and fixing things.
I found out about this opportunity through a family member and managed to get an interview. It was actually my first job interview, as I was fresh out of school at the time—and pretty nervous, as you can imagine—but it went really well, and I felt welcomed by everyone from the moment I set foot in the building.
Ash (Grant, Director at Sylvester Keal) and Ben (Keal, Director at Sylvester Keal) laid out my development plan. That plan included studying for my commercial gas safety certificate, which I’m in the process of doing now.
I have monthly one-to-one meetings with my line manager, and he’ll ask me how everything is going and where the company can support me further.
The engineers here have been so helpful in my development, as well, especially my main mentor. I couldn’t wish to learn from a more experienced or knowledgeable group of people.
My main goals are to finish my apprenticeship, work on more of my own jobs, pick up as many extra qualifications as I can, and hopefully work my way up the company.
About Sylvester Keal
For more than 35 years, Sylvester Keal has provided top-tier commercial catering equipment to its customers across the UK. These customers include nursing homes, residential homes, schools, colleges, NHS trusts, restaurants, hotels, and golf clubs.
It also provides a range of design, planning, and installation services, which are delivered by its dedicated, qualified team of in-house specialists.
Collaborate with more industry experts by joining our buying consortium
ENSE is a commercial catering equipment buying consortium that comprises a large network of distributors (like Sylvester Keal) and suppliers.
At the time of writing, our share of the UK catering equipment market is around 30%, and we are the UK’s premier catering equipment buying consortium.
If you think you could benefit from being a part of this network, our stance is clear. The best time to join ENSE was yesterday, but the second best time is today.
Contact us here to unlock more business opportunities and propel your organisation to new heights.