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Following unprecedented interest and an influx of exceptional talent, over 30 colleagues have been selected to join Compass Group UK & Ireland’s award-winning ‘Forward with Marcus Wareing’.
The demand from applicants has meant two cohorts have been chosen for the prestigious Forward Culinary Programme. Compass will also launch the inaugural ‘Forward Service’, a brand-new programme designed for front of house colleagues.
Following its launch in August 2021, over 38 senior Chefs have graduated from Forward with Marcus Wareing, with an outstanding 82% retention and a 100% distinction rate among Chefs who have completed their Senior Culinary Level 4 Apprenticeship.
The fifth cohort recently launched in Devon, spending time with Marcus and beginning their Forward journey. Initial activities included a day of ingredient discovery, exploring fields, urban areas and the coast to find items that can carry powerful flavours and potential for dishes; as well as a session learning about fermenting, and their first Forward cookery experience.
The sixth cohort will follow a similar programme of activity and will begin later this year. The delivery model for both has been mapped to ensure mentoring, coaching, and development time.
Guided by Marcus Wareing and delivered in partnership with national hospitality training provider, HIT Training, Forward with Marcus Wareing was specifically designed and launched to support senior culinary talent. The apprenticeship equips Chefs with exceptional culinary skills with a fundamental focus on subjects including sustainability, commerciality, and people. It is brought to life through added value enrichment activities, delivering practical experiences to the group.
Forward has received national recognition, winning the Training and Apprenticeship Programme at the 2025 Public Sector Catering Awards and Best Educational Programme at the Institute of Hospitality Awards 2024.
The Forward Service programme will follow a similar approach as the culinary scheme, but for colleagues in senior front of house roles. The aim is to nurture and develop senior leaders to become truly ‘best in class’, delivering excellence in customer service and passing on this training to their teams to drive even higher standards. Modules include Leadership and Standards; Drinks; Back of House Liaison and Business Functions.
The Forward with Marcus Wareing and Forward Service programmes form part of Compass Group UK & Ireland’s Signature Programmes — a key pillar of the talent strategy enabling skills capability, retention, career progression, and measurable impact for the business and clients.
Marcus Wareing said: “The Forward programme was designed to support senior culinary talent, taking them to the next level by offering a specific development pathway. I’m thrilled to see how successful this has been in the last four years, and I’m proud that so many brilliant Chefs wanted to join this year. Every time I meet the new cohort, we evolve and grow the programme, as well as the people! It’s exciting to see such talent coming through, with such eagerness to develop further, and I’m looking forward to working with them.”
Jonathan Foot, Director of Skills & Early Careers at Compass Group UK & Ireland said: “The talent and passion shown by this year’s applicants has been outstanding, with more people than ever stepping forward to take on the challenge. Working closely with Marcus and HIT Training, we decided to expand the programme so that even more of our colleagues could seize this opportunity to grow, develop, and thrive.
At its heart, the Forward Programme is about people – giving them the confidence, skills, and support to realise their potential. As our business grows, we want to ensure our colleagues grow with it.”
Jonathan Milner, Area Development and Support Chef, CH&CO and participant on Cohort 5 said: “We’ve only just scratched the surface of the Forward programme, but the experience so far has been outstanding. One thing that has stood out is the people – a group of chefs coming together, bonding over a mutual love and enthusiasm of what they do and wanting to learn from and support one another. This doesn’t just end with the Cohort – the support available from our culinary leaders, trainers and the industry experts so far has been amazing. This means a lot to me personally and I’m very excited to continue this journey and make the most of this fantastic opportunity.”
Mark Belford, Chef Academy Principal at HIT Training: “Forward with Marcus Wareing has quickly become one of the most exciting apprenticeship programmes in UK hospitality. It combines outstanding skills development with unique enrichment experiences that extend far beyond the classroom. We’re proud to partner with Compass and Marcus in nurturing this new wave of talent, and it’s inspiring to see both the culinary and service strands of the programme continue to grow in impact and ambition.”
Chef News is sponsored by the the Kitchen Porters Club
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