Apprentice chefs from Holly Bush and Flask attend Parliament

David Tighe, an apprentice chef de partie at The Flask in Highgate, and Bogdan Llie Poplacean, apprentice sous chef at The Holly Bush in Hampstead will visit the House of Commons on Wednesday (February 7) for the Hospitality Apprenticeship Showcase.

The event is part of National Apprenticeship Week, and around 1,200 trainees from the sector - including chefs, mixologists, brewers, and support staff - will meet Lords, Ladies and MPs.

Bogdan Llie Poplacean an apprentice sous chef at The Holly Bush in Hampstead will meet his MP at The House of Commons as part of an event to champion careers in hospitality (Image: Courtesy of HAS)

Bogdan will talk to Hampstead and Kilburn MP Tulip Siddiq about his current role, and aspirations for the future, while David will speak to Brent Central MP Dawn Butler.

The event recognises the outstanding work carried out by apprentices, while encouraging MPs to ensure the conditions are right for pubs and restaurants to thrive.

The Hospitality showcase also wants to challenge the negative image of working in the industry, and encourage young people to see it as a rewarding career.David Tighe works as an apprentice chef at The Flask in Highgate (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

David began his apprenticeship with Fuller, Smith and Turner last March, and balances working in the Highgate pub with attending Westminster Kingsway College.

He said: "The beauty of hospitality is that no day is ever the same. I've worked as a chef for some time now, and the industry has changed a lot since I started. I wanted to do an apprenticeship to pick up some new skills and build on some of the ones that are like second nature to me now. I really appreciate that I've been able to do it – I think it's such an opportunity.David Tighe who works at The Flask in Highgate (Image: Supplied)

"Going to the House of Commons is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I'm really looking forward to it. To have something you're doing celebrated is very inspiring and a real motivation for all of us doing apprenticeships."

Bogdan started with Fuller, Smith and Turner in 2018, and is now working towards becoming head chef at The Holly Bush, where he and his team recently received their first AA Rosette Award.The Holly Bush in Hampstead where Bogdan works as an apprentice chef (Image: Archant)

He said: "I love learning new skills – which has seen me try various jobs before becoming a chef from fashion design to carpentry. However, as soon as I started cooking, my passion for food and people came together and I’ve never looked back. Hospitality allows me to focus on my self-development, growth and personal ambition while making people happy through my culinary creations."