Three St Austell Brewery apprentices were recognised for their commitment to brewing and the hospitality industry in the South West.

A special lunch ceremony was attended by around 80 people at the brewery's visitor centre in late January.

It was used to mark National Apprenticeship Week, which takes place between February 5 to 11, celebrating the achievements and work of its apprentices.

Jak Yelland-Hill, a procurement manager apprentice, was honoured with a recognition award.

She was nominated by her line manager, Paul Hine, for her hard work on her commercial procurement and supply Level 4 course.

Paul Hine said: "Jak has put in a lot of her own time to succeed and has done so with an excellent +80% average pass rate.

"Having done the same diploma many years ago, I can vouch for the difficulty of some of the areas, so hats off to her!"

Falmouth Packet: A special lunch ceremony was attended by around 80 people at the brewery's visitor centre in late

Matthew Hawkey, a brewing apprentice, was also recognised for his exceptional performance.

He is two thirds of the way through his Level 4 course and was commended by the brewery’s three most experienced brewers.

His team said: "Matt has managed to learn all relevant roles across the production cycle with great speed and proactivity.

"Matt also brings a positive impact to the team around him – not just in terms of workload or setting positive examples of high standards – but socially, bonding well with everyone and improving team spirit.

"He is progressing very well indeed and thoroughly deserves this award as recognition for his continued hard work."

Harry Dupi, a team leader at the Royal Castle, received the final award.

He was nominated by his general manager, Matthew McKinley-Booton.

Mr McKinley-Booton said: "I am delighted to have Harry as a part of my team, he is an absolute legend with an amazing level of knowledge, and an amazing work ethic.

"Harry is a definite general manager in the making who really deserves this award for his consistent reliability and amazing work ethic."

Joe Baker, graduated from a brewing apprenticeship last year, was celebrated by HIT Training with the Apprentice Brewer of the Year award.

His success story includes creating his own beer Average Joe, which was sold in 480 national pubs.

St Austell Brewery had a successful 2023, elevating its functions as an apprentice employer.

Currently, the business employs 94 apprentices on 26 different courses, amounting to around 5 per cent of its total full-time employees.

This is double the number of apprentices taking part in courses before 2023.