A RESTAURANT chain has announced plans to recruit 200 apprentices in the next 12 months, including opportunities at its Liverpool site.

Red Hot World Buffet & Bar is working with the National Apprentice Service (NAS) to recruit young people that have missed out on employment, training or further education.

The initiative will include its current sites in Liverpool One, Manchester, Nottingham, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Leeds and Cardiff which opens next month, and will offer the chance for apprentices to learn alongside a team of chefs and staff that have learned their trade in five-star restaurants and hotels.

Director Helen Dhaliwal said: “Our apprentices will not only have the opportunity to learn essential skills in food preparation, presentation and service, they will be helped to develop a work ethic that will allow them to flourish in the hospitality industry.

“We feel the Red Hot World Buffet & Bar’s apprenticeship scheme is an excellent way to give back to the local communities that are so integral to our success.

“The company is expanding to 18 restaurants over the next three years, and if this scheme is successful we intend on becoming the biggest provider of apprenticeships in the UK.”

Andrew Barlow, NAS account manager, added: “Red Hot World Buffet & Bar’s investment demonstrates their commitment to developing opportunities for local people to gain skilled employment.

“This has the added benefit of ensuring the company is equipped with a highly-skilled workforce of their own to continue their expansion.”