A café helps young people with learning difficulties get to know the world of work.
Breward’s Coffee Shop was set up by Homefield College in his home village of Mountsorrel near Loughborough in Leicestershire.
The college provides education, training, mentoring and support to people with learning and communication disabilities and helps them achieve their goals through hands-on experience and centered community learning.
In addition to the new café, the college runs the Barrow of Treats candy store in a neighboring village, which also gives students the opportunity to develop their professional skills in a real workplace.
College principal Tracey Forman said now that restrictions are lifted, students are excited to get back to work creating new recipes to share with customers who can finally dine again.
One of the first diners was Loughborough MP Jane Hunt, who tried the homemade flapjack and fruit tea at Breward’s while attending college.
She also hosted a question-and-answer session with students from across college on Microsoft Teams, discussing issues such as road safety, flooding, and the role of MPs.
She said, “Breward’s is a wonderful addition to the Mountsorrel landscape – it’s warm and friendly, and the cakes are fantastic.
“Not only is it a great place to have a hot drink and something to eat, but it also provides an important work experience for students with learning and communication disabilities.
“It enables students to develop their skills and confidence, and prepare them for future employment.
“Thanks to everyone at Homefield for opening this fabulous facility.”
Ms. Forman said the cafe helps students focus on good customer service and hospitality, and learn skills such as food preparation, meeting and greeting, handling the cash register and money, functional IT skills, and health and safety.
She said, “We believe that our students achieve through experience, so we run our own businesses.
“People with learning and communication disabilities often struggle to find meaningful employment, so we use our companies to provide our students with the knowledge, experience and transferable skills they need for external internships and future employment to back up.
We were delighted to welcome Jane Hunt MP to tour Homefield and experience the student service at Breward. Daniel and Ethan provided excellent and attentive service and we are delighted that their trust grows as more guests dine at Breward’s. ”
Breward’s also sells a range of handicrafts, woodwork, artwork, and maps made by Homefield students and residents.
The café is currently open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the semester, with future plans for Saturday openings and student internships over the holidays.