Four young Bermudians are earning their culinary stripes as part of the Fairmont Southampton’s chef apprentice programme.

The group — comprising Sierra Symonds, Devon Nepeir, Quinn White and Jaelen Steede — are plying their craft under sous chef Herbie Bascombe at the hotel, which has ten food outlets. Trainees emerge from the paid, four-year course with a Red Seal trades qualification from Canada, further improving their future career prospects. Ms Symonds, 21, joined the programme in March after completing an internship at the Fairmont Southampton while studying at Bermuda College.

As a vegetarian, she has a “passion” for creating delectable meat-free dishes.

“You go to a restaurant and there aren’t too many vegetarian options, especially in Bermuda,” said the Warwick resident.

“Everybody should have options — nobody wants to go out to dinner and just eat vegetables, that’s so boring. I try to put a different spin on it.”

Among Ms Symonds’s experiences so far has been a stint helping with the hotel’s 24-hour in-room dining service.

“There aren’t too many 3am meal requests, but sometimes people will want a burger or chicken wings,” she said.

“People also ask for some really strange things after a good night out. Fries on pizza is a thing now, apparently.”

When she completes the programme, Ms Symonds plans to broaden her horizons with a stint abroad.

“I’d like to go and work at a different Fairmont hotel somewhere else in the world,” she said.

“I was thinking about Switzerland — I know it’s really beautiful out there and it’s an experience I wouldn’t get otherwise.”

Mr Nepeir, 24, also entered the course in March from Bermuda College, where he graduated with a culinary degree.

“This seemed like the best option for me to progress in my industry,” he said.

“I’m enjoying interacting with different people.

“We have 13 nationalities in the kitchen, with chefs from places like Sri Lanka and Egypt, so I’ve been learning about the different meals from their countries.”

Mr Nepeir, whose favourite cuisine to prepare is soul food, became interested in cooking at a young age.

“My mum used to bake a lot, and I would help her make cookies. It was just something I loved to do,” he said.

In the coming years, the Pembroke resident hopes “to be the best apprentice I can be”, and would like to move up the ladder as he acquires more and more experience.

“My organisation needs a bit of work, but I’ve learnt a lot already and my skills have definitely improved,” he said.

The hotel’s executive chef, David Ansted, called the trainees “the next generation of the island’s top chefs”.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to work with them on culinary techniques, as well as developing their management experience to help them succeed in the restaurant business,” he added.