Pick ‘n Pay trains deli staff at Prue Leith Chefs Academy.

Pick ‘n Pay approached Prue Leith Chefs Academy to put together a training course for their deli staff in 2008. Their goal was to improve the knowledge and skill of their Deli supervisors in stores to assist the customers with all food related queries. 
The curriculum was to be extensive, with great amounts of emphasis placed on creating a passion for food within the deli departments of Pick`n Pay.
The lecturers got stuck in and the first class was offered in October 2008 when Prue Leith and Pick n Pay launched this very unique project. The course was led by Maria Radcliffe, Head of Department for part time studies.

After six weeks of caviar tasting, soufflé-ing, feta-making and sausage stuffing a very proud second Pick ‘n Pay deli class recently graduated from Prue Leith Chefs Academy. “It is great service when supermarkets have informed staff behind the counter that can advise you on which fish is a sustainable choice to listing the correct ingredients in a Caprese Salad” comments Lorraine Meaney, Executive Chef.
Over a six week period various topics would be covered ranging from types of cheeses and charcuterie to salads, fish, herbs and spice blends. The course is focused on product knowledge to empower employees to communicate informatively and confidently about the extensive variety of ingredients found in Pick `n Pay delis and stores. 

With two groups successfully completed, we thought we would check in with Pick n Pay to see how the graduates were faring. We approached Maritza Bekker, Senior Deli Coordinator from PnP with a few questions:

How do you go about choosing the candidates who will attend the course?

Firstly they must have a passion for food. We work on a merit system. The staff that consistently performs well being chosen. They then have to complete and series of interviews before the final selection of student is made.

What was the main aim of the collaboration between Prue Leith and PnP?

We wanted our staff to be trained by the best!  Prue Leith Chefs Academy designed a tailor made curriculum for our Deli’s that was perfectly suited to our needs.

What have been some of the results that have been seen in your stores so far?

The standards in the stores of the Prue Leith graduates have already improved tremendously. We have since promoted most of the first group of graduates from supervisory positions to the position of manager within their delis.

Have you had any feedback from the students that attended the course and what was it?

The graduates have all agreed that the knowledge they gained whilst at Prue Leith has given them greater confidence when dealing with customers. They have also had the confidence to share their knowledge with their staff members by training them in some of the new skills they were taught. In a personal capacity it certainly meant a great deal to them to have the opportunity to complete such a training course.