Lockdown has required many hospitality enterprises and hospitality workers to change their operational model or focus.  Many have started volunteering to cook to support community organisations, key workers or disadvantaged groups and social enterprises.  Many have created new relationships with their community and have learned new skills.

Yet once restaurants, pubs and hotels are able to re-open and start providing what they used to before lockdown, the opportunity to support these organisations and individuals while re-building businesses and careers, may become harder leaving community organisations to potentially struggle.

For many years, the college work placement system has seen hospitality students undertake work placements in mainstream hotels, restaurants and private members clubs.  However, there are a number of other businesses and social and community enterprises in hospitality that can offer students work experience but also broaden their perspective on working in a workplace that supports their local community as well.

The purpose of this research, therefore, is to identify whether there would be interest from hospitality further and higher education providers in working with local social and community organisations to place students in a community kitchen or social enterprise restaurant.

Thank you for taking the time to answer this questionnaire.   If you would like to take part in any further research on this, please contact bridgetohospitality@yahoo.com.