Run by charitable trust Aspire, which aims to give disabled islanders a helping hand in society, Beresford Street Kitchen currently employs 45 staff with learning difficulties and autism, with another 25 on the waiting list.

The café provides practical experience in a wide range of catering and hospitality operations including customer service skills, barista skills and food preparation to islanders with learning disabilities and autism. The café-come-social enterprise aims to plug the gap in training for islanders and provide the initial ‘stepping stone’ to future employment through three kinds of placement. There’s 'pathway', a dedicated work experience programme, which allows people to try out different areas to work out where they might best fit in while picking up some skills along the way. 

After that, they can progress onto a traineeship, which involves three shifts a week either in the busy café or behind the scenes printing staff t-shirts, mugs and items to be sold in the shop or cooking up treats to tantalise islanders’ tastebuds. 

Pictured: Beresford Street Kitchen currently employs 45 staff with learning difficulties and autism.

But helping members of the BSK progress from trainee level requires funding - and that's where Samphire has stepped in.

Georgie Cottini, fundraising manager at BSK, said: "We are delighted that Samphire have chosen to support BSK and because of their substantial donation we now have the funding to promote a trainee to an apprenticeship. This means we can put them on an employment contract and offer them the next level of skills and training needed to have the opportunity to move to open employment.

"Without the support of companies like Samphire, we would not be able to give these guys the opportunity to maximize their potential, join the workforce and be recognised for their skills."

Kate Stephan, Events and Marketing Manager at Samphire said: “Samphire may be synonymous with great food and service, but we are also renowned for our support in the local community, promoting opportunities and nurturing our local talent.”