Inn Cornwall, which runs three pubs, has been featured as one of the Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employers for 2022.
Mark Holden and Justin Barnett are licensees of the three pubs: the Victoria Inn, Roche; the Victoria Inn, Threemilestone; and the Norway Inn, Perranarworthal. They are all part of St Austell Brewery’s tenanted estate.
The duo have taken on more than 30 apprentices in 12 years. They currently have 11 apprentices, in front-of-house and other roles, ranging from levels 2 to 4.
Mark and Justin said: “As a business, we really value the importance of apprenticeships. These schemes play a huge part in levelling up the Cornish communities that we operate in, and increasing social mobility.
“We thrive on nurturing fresh talent in our pubs and seeing people grow and develop in their roles — there’s nothing more rewarding for us. To be recognised as one of the Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employers, alongside so many other brilliant businesses across the country, is the cherry on top and a huge honour.
“It’s a fantastic reward for all the hard work that our teams put in, and testament to the schools and colleges that we partner with. A special thanks to Truro College and Cornwall College for the services provided by their business teams, lecturers, and hospitality departments.”
Senior roles
Jim Sloan, head of St Austell Brewery’s tenanted estate said: “We’re so proud of Mark and Justin for this latest achievement. It’s a fantastic accolade for them and is richly deserved, after over a decade of investing in people and nurturing talent in their local communities.
“It’s fantastic to see so many people within Mark and Justin’s business making the most of a long-term career path in hospitality, taking advantage of every opportunity that an apprenticeship can offer them along the way, and going to on work in senior roles in the industry.”
It’s not the first time that the business has been awarded for its apprenticeship schemes. Last year, Aimee Kent was named apprentice of the year for hospitality, at the Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards, where the company has also been named employer of the year (SME) in the past.
Inn Cornwall has also won SME trainer of the year at the British Institute of Innkeepers’ National Innovation in Training Awards (NITAs). They were praised by top industry judges for “innovation in creating an individual programme”, as well as Mark and Justin’s personal style in coaching and motivation. In this year’s NITAs, commis chef apprentice Will Dunstan was a national finalist for apprentice of the year.
Inn Cornwall is currently recruiting for new hospitality apprentices. The business offers an open door policy, meaning that anybody who is interested in taking on an apprenticeship in hospitality can visit one of the company’s three pubs to speak to a training apprentice and ask them any questions. For more information on how to apply for an apprenticeship role at Inn Cornwall, visit thevicinn.com/join-our-team
