Students welcome MP at Breward’s

The coffee shop in Mountsorrel provides vital work experience for students with learning and communication disabilities, preparing them for the world of work and building transferable skills.

Established during the pandemic, Breward’s opened in September 2020 for students to learn the ropes, followed by take-away customers in November 2020. Now that restrictions are lifting, students are excited to create new recipes to share with their dine-in customers.

Student Samuel G who works at Breward’s as part of his work-ready study programme said:

“I love working in the coffee shop and serving customers. I’m looking forward to serving more customers now they can come in and sit down after COVID restrictions”.

One of the first dine-in guests was Jane Hunt MP, who as part of a visit to Homefield College sampled the delights of a homemade flapjack and fruit tea at Breward’s Coffee Shop, served by students Daniel T and Ethan C.

After refreshments, Jane led a Q&A session with students across the College over Microsoft Teams discussing topics such as road-safety, flooding and the role of members of parliament.

Speaking about the visit, Jane Hunt MP said:

“Breward’s is a wonderful addition to the Mountsorrel landscape; it’s warm and friendly and they serve some fantastic cakes! As well as being a great place for a hot drink and something to eat, it also provides students with learning and communication disabilities with vital work experience. It allows the students to grow their skills and confidence, preparing them for future employment. Thanks to everyone at Homefield for opening this fabulous facility.”

At Breward’s, students focus on good customer service and hospitality. They learn skills such as food preparation, meeting and greeting customers, using the till & money handling, functional IT skills and health & safety.

Tracey Forman, Principal of Homefield College, said:

“We believe that our students achieve through experience, which is why we run our own enterprises. People with learning and communication disabilities often struggle to gain meaningful employment, so we use our enterprises to help equip our students with the knowledge, experience and transferable skills needed to secure external work placements and future employment.

We were delighted to welcome Jane Hunt MP to tour Homefield and to experience student service at Breward’s. Daniel and Ethan provided excellent and attentive service, and we are really happy to see their confidence grow as more guests dine-in at Breward’s.”

Along with edible goods, Breward’s also sells a range of craft products, woodwork, artwork and cards made by Homefield students and residents.

The coffee shop is currently open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays during term time, 9am – 2pm, with future plans of Saturday openings and student internships over the holidays.