A Catering training venue based with Carmarthen’s County Hall has been awarded a five star hygiene rating.
Café SA31 provides supported training for participants of the COASTAL project, a regional programme part-funded from European Social Fund (ESF) to address economic inactivity in south west Wales.
Participants learn valuable skills in food preparation, customer service and business, and supervised by qualified catering trainers, they gain qualifications which help open new doors to future employment and opportunities.
The café was awarded its five star hygiene rating following an unannounced visit by the Environmental Health Agency, which only awards it top rating to those that demonstrate a very high standard of compliance with food safety legislation.
SA31 co-ordinator Nicola Camden said: “We were thrilled to be awarded a five star rating, which is testament to the hard work of the staff and the participants who help us run the kitchen and serve food to customers.”
The café, located on the ground floor of County Hall, also supports other COASTAL projects, such as the STEPS II project, based at Johnstown, where adults with learning disabilities are supported by staff to grow and tend for a large variety of fruit and vegetables.
SA31 gets first pick of the produce, and use it to create daily specials, as well as fillings for jacket potatoes, baguettes and paninis, and even jams and chutneys.
Cllr Jane Tremlett, Executive Board Member for Health and Social Care, said: “Café SA31 has been a growing success story from the beginning, and this five star hygiene rating is literally the cherry on the cake.
“The café has become a pivotal element of the COASTAL programme, and has already provided supported opportunities for many participants who have gained the qualifications and confidence to move on to further training and employment.”
COASTAL is a regional project – part-funded from European Social Fund (ESF) as part of the 2007-13 West Wales and the Valleys Convergence Programme. 
Its aim is to support 1,000 adults aged 16-64 who face employment barriers as a result of severe disabilities or chronic health conditions.
For further information, contact the COASTAL Career Pathways Team on 01267 246666.