Disadvantaged youngsters anxious to carve out a career in the restaurant trade are already getting a helping hand from Jamie Oliver and his Fifteen Foundation, and now Kia Motors (UK) Ltd is helping them on the road to success too.
Kia is providing the Fifteen Foundation with its award-winning Sorento 2.5CRDi XE model and its Sedona 2.9 CRDi L that will be used during the trainee programme at the London restaurant and Jamie’s new soon-to-be-opened Fifteen restaurant in Watergate Bay, Cornwall.
The keys to the Sorento were presented by Kia Motors UK President Byung Kwang Jang to Fifteen Foundation Director Liam Black at the Westland Place restaurant along with two of the current crop of trainees, Sean Paul Kimpson and Dwayne Joseph. The Sedona is already being pressed into service as the Foundation recruits its trainees for the Watergate Bay restaurant, due to open in May.
Kia is also contributing to the next generation of Fifteen chefs with a number of experiences and opportunities during the year including running a restaurant on its London Motor Show stand in July and by hosting a VIP dinner for Kia’s football ambassadors Ji-Sung Park of Manchester United, Young-Pyo Lee of Tottenham Hotspur and Ki-Hyun Seol of Wolverhampton Wanderers before they join the Korean World Cup squad in Germany this summer.
Liam Black said: “Ever since the Fifteen Foundation was established we have worked hard to raise funds to provide youngsters who face a difficult future get the benefit of a career in catering. We have some amazing supporters but with the arrival of these two Kias we can suddenly open up an entirely new avenue of opportunity for the current trainees and hopefully the many who will follow them.
“And with Watergate Bay starting recruitment and getting very close to opening, the Sedona has proven to be invaluable. In fact I am not sure we could be operating without it! Both vehicles are going to help us train these fantastic youngsters in so many ways – about where good food comes from and what makes good suppliers and good practice. We are looking forward to working with Kia to ensure that as many young people as possible get this opportunity,” he commented.
Mr Byung Kwang Jang, President of Kia Motors (UK) Limited said: “Kia is committed to the next generation both here in the UK and around the world. Education and opportunity are vital if we expect our young people to develop into the engineers, designers, leaders and of course chefs of the future – so it is our privilege to help Jamie Oliver and his Fifteen Foundation undertake such good work by putting them on the road to a bright future.”