Richard Luttman, the head chef at the Bard & Banker Scottish Pub, is a strong advocate of British Columbia's Professional Cook Program and its role in developing apprentices, and with good reason. The Victoria-based Bard & Banker is no ordinary pub. The 320-seat, 12,000-square-foot establishment is a popular destination for beer lovers, live music enthusiasts, or those who simply want to spend an evening gazing at the Inner Harbour from the second-floor patio.
Given this milieu, Luttman, whose résumé includes a six-year stint at Victoria’s Rosemeade Dining Room and Lounge and 14 years with the Four Seasons hotel group, is inspired to deliver more than just standard pub fare. “In terms of our menu, my goal is for the Bard & Banker to be thought of as something between a pub and a bistro,” he says. “On one hand, we’re a traditional pub. But on the other, it’s the sort of place where I’ve been able to bring in 100 pounds of chanterelle mushrooms weekly and use them in interesting ways.”
Luttman’s success in achieving this fine balance between pub and bistro depends not only on his skills but on those of his nine-member staff too. That’s why he views the Professional Cook Program as a vital training tool for apprentices, and a boon to his business. “We’re currently sponsoring three of our cooks, and they’re in various stages of completing the program,” he says. “Publicans in general have a tough time finding dedicated cooks, because cooks assume all they’ll be doing is deep-frying. But our people have exhibited determination, so by sending them through the new and improved program we’ll get Red Seal talent in return who will help propel our menu to the next level.”
The improvements Luttman is referring to came about last year courtesy of go2, which worked in partnership with the Industry Training Authority to overhaul the Professional Cook Program. It has given the Professional Cook Program a broader appeal to more potential apprenticeship candidates and to a greater number of employers. There are still three distinct skill levels, but each one is now granted its own certification: Professional Cook 1 (PC1); Professional Cook 2 (PC2); and Professional Cook 3/Red Seal. Employers can now hire an apprentice at any of these three levels, work with that person to attain certification, then either continue to the next level or keep the apprentice employed at the current certified level. Previously, those who had completed only part of the program were simply deemed not to have graduated, so they didn’t receive any certification for their interim progress. The first stage of training will continue to be offered through the high school ACE-IT programs, the traditional apprenticeship model, and through post-secondary culinary arts programs.
“Participants also now have to complete a practical evaluation and exam in order to pass each level," says Luttman. "It’s not an easy process. The program takes three years to complete altogether. But the skills taught are thorough and wide-ranging. I’ve noticed improvements in my participants already.”
Apart from gaining skilled employees and boosting retention, sponsorship in some cases entitles employers to federal and provincial government tax credits. Also, apprentices can share up-to-date skills with other staff, thus boosting a business’s competitiveness. “The latter is certainly the case at the Bard & Banker,” says Luttman. “Confidence levels are rising.”
Luttman has several years to go before each of his three staff members receive their Red Seals, and he fully appreciates that academic achievement inspires career ambition. “People who are committed enough to obtain a Red Seal ultimately want to open their own restaurant or perhaps become a head chef at a fine dining establishment, and that’s great as far as I’m concerned,” he says. “But that’s in the future. In the meantime, I have a great work crew exercising their skills in the kitchen instead of just being cogs in a wheel. All pubs should have this level of expertise.”
Click here to read about what Darby's and Spinnakers think about the Professional Cook program.
By Robin Brunet. Originally titled "Now you're cooking!", this is excerpted from an article previously published in the Winter 2010 issue of the Publican Magazine.
