Chocs away for training

Chocolate lovers across Liverpool can look forward to delicious new offerings at one of the city’s most popular cafes thanks to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

The Chocolate Cellar, based on Hanover Street, has received training from Blue Orchid in the city, enabling them to get a license to sell a wider range of chocolate-based treats.

Since opening in January this year, the cafe’s menu of homemade chocolate drinks and cakes has proved popular and very soon visitors will be able to sooth away winter blues with hot-infused chocolate drinks.

 

Bala Croman, pictured right, chocolatier and owner of the Chocolate Cellar, said: “It is important for me to continuously up-skill my workforce to ensure we provide the best service possible for our customers.

“The cafe has six employees in full- and part-time roles, and we sent three staff on the Personal License for Alcohol training course.”

The training was part-funded by the LSC as part of the SkillWorks funding scheme, which is available to organisations with fewer than 250 employees and is aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses improve the skills and competitiveness of their workforce.

Bala added: “We are a new business and without the LSC’s support we wouldn’t have been able to afford the training, so they have been a huge help.

“Without this training we would not have been able to get our license to sell alcohol and we can now offer our customers much more to choose from and experiment with tasty new recipes.”

Gareth Tinsley, relationship manager at Blue Orchid, said: “The SkillWorks funding is there to help businesses like the Chocolate Cellar, which has really benefitted, so I would encourage others who feel they may be eligible to contact Train to Gain, who will put them in touch with a training provider in their area.”

Helen France, LSC Director of Area for Greater Merseyside, said: “Research shows that businesses that do not train their workforce are two and a half times more likely to fail during a recession.”

Businesses wanting to know how to access the funding should visit www.allmerseyside.net or contact Train to Gain Brokerage Service on 0845 00 66 888.

For more information about the Chocolate Cellar, visit www.thechocolatecellar.co.uk or call 0151 200 2202.