Training idea gets a boost from Ali

An ethnic restaurateur from London has given £35,000 to a charity to train Bengali restaurant staff.

Amin Ali, owner of the Red Fort and Soho Spice restaurants in London, has made the donation to help fund a training scheme run by the Training for Life charity.

It will be piloted for a year in six London restaurants. These are: the Star of India, the Rupee Room, Dil Chad, Samudra, Red Fort, and Soho Spice.

Westminster City Council will provide practical aid and the European Social Fund will match Ali's donation. If successful, the programme will be extended beyond a year.

Gordon D'Silva, chief executive of the charity, said young Bengalis reflected the widespread view of hospitality as a low-paid, low-status industry with little training and few opportunities.

The scheme will initially concentrate on existing staff, who are mostly over 25 years old, but D'Silva is hoping the participants will also take on young recruits.