Foxes new catering truck off to a flying start!
Aurora Foxes has launched The Flying Fox food truck on the Minehead Promenade outside the Foxes Hotel. The truck gives Foxes' students the opportunity to cater for a variety of events, from food fairs to music festivals, boosting their skills and confidence while preparing them for employment in the hospitality industry.
Principal Emma Cobley MBE said the experience will "give our students the skills, knowledge and confidence to successfully shape their own futures."
The Flying Fox will welcome customers on the promenade three days a week throughout the summer term, serving a selection of paninis and rice boxes. Students will be running the truck, learning outdoor service skills including food preparation, hygiene and storage.
Students named the Flying Fox truck after the Flying Fox café, which was put in place during lockdowns, with menu ideas created by Foxes students, hotel chefs and Stuart Duff, Corporate Chef for the UK and Ireland, Hilton. The truck is funded by a £30,000 grant from the Hilton Global Foundation. Hilton has been a partner of Aurora Foxes since 2015 and has provided work placements for over 30 Foxes' students. They are set to offer a further number of placements later this year. Currently, seven Aurora Foxes graduates are employed in six of Hilton's hotels.
"Aurora Foxes has been a fantastic partner for us over the years and I'm thrilled that we're offering a number of additional work placements at our hotels later this year. As we continue to build on our partnership, I look forward to seeing the benefits of the Flying Fox truck on the lives of students – and to tasting the delicious food they create." Steve Cassidy, Managing Director, UK and Ireland, Hilton
"The Flying Fox truck will be a great learning experience for the students and will really help to showcase the positive benefits of employing a young person with a learning disability. Around three quarters of Foxes' graduates enter sustained work when they finish - which is more than 10 times the employment rate for people with learning disabilities nationally." Mark Costello, the CEO of Aurora Group
