A Lancaster hotel has recruited a trainee chef from Romania to join a fledgling group of students aspiring to forge careers in the hospitality and catering industry.
Based at Lancaster House Hotel, Ioana Stiop is included in the latest cohort of trainees enrolled on the English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues Culinary Academy. The group also includes local youngsters Ethan Livesey from Lancaster and Dora Preece from Kirkby Lonsdale.
Recruitment for this year’s academy intake has involved a wider catchment area due in part to its growing reputation. Shantel Adjei has moved from Milton Keynes to take up her place on the course at Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa, with the class of 2023 completed by Leo Nkumalo from Leicester, Hannah Jones from Levens and Doris Lam from Vancouver.

Above: Ioana Stiop
The English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues Culinary Academy is now into its sixth year. It offers trainees a one year apprenticeship, with students training to attain Level 2 Commis Chef and Level 3 Chef de Partie qualifications.
The fully accredited courses allow the students to hone chef skills whilst earning a wage with the hotel group across its venues including Lancaster House Hotel.
Daniel Winstanley from English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues said: “It’s been heartening to see applicants from across the country, and in this case from overseas as well, keen to come and train with us and develop their careers.
‘’I’m greatly looking forward to working with Ioana and the whole group over the next two years.”
In the past 3 years, the Culinary Academy has attained 100% achievement with all apprentices on Level 2 and Level 3 programmes.
More than 90% of the students have progressed on to further studies with the academy or have taken up full time roles within the hotel group.


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