PENYCAE: ‘Some doubted my ability’: the inn’s star waiter Aaron wins national award

Aaron Jones has heard the doubters, and this September he’ll be answering them from an awards stage in Cardiff.

The 25-year-old senior waiter at the Penycae Inn, north of Abercrave, has won the Skills for Work Award in this year’s Inspire! Adult Learning Awards, one of just 11 winners across Wales.

Aaron, who is autistic, will collect the award at the Coal Exchange on 23 September, in a ceremony crowning Adult Learners’ Week.

“I am very proud of my apprenticeship, especially as there were some that doubted my ability to succeed,” he said.

“I am autistic which has, in the past, affected my confidence, communication and social interaction skills. However, rather than allowing this to limit me, I have embraced my neurodiversity, and I have pushed myself to overcome these barriers.”

His path ran from Ysgol Penmaes, a special educational needs school in Brecon where he studied from the age of three to 19, straight into the Penycae Inn’s kitchen.

It was his bosses, Anthony and Claire Christopher, who spotted that his flair for people belonged front of house. He now looks after customers, mentors new staff, and still takes the occasional kitchen shift.

Supported by the couple and Cambrian Training Company, he added a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Hospitality Supervision and Leadership to his name, and was recently crowned the training company’s Apprentice of the Year.

The apprenticeship gave him more than workplace skills: he now speaks publicly about his learning journey and neurodiversity as an ambassador for work-based learning.

Away from the restaurant floor, more than 22,000 people follow his Aaron’s Ales TikTok channel, where he reviews beers. His ambition is to become a supervisor or bar manager.

“Anyone who is neurodivergent can achieve the same as me with the right support, hard work and determination,” he said. “I’ve discovered my passion and I’ll never stop learning.”

‘A shining example of how adult learning can change lives’

Alison Collingridge of Cambrian Training Company, who nominated him, said: “Aaron is not just a success story; he is a shining example of how adult learning can change lives. He’s a skilled hospitality professional, a respected leader within his workplace, and a role model for other young people with additional learning needs.”

The awards, co-ordinated by Learning and Work Institute with Welsh Government support, celebrate adults whose commitment to learning has changed their lives, and the organisers say taster courses and advice sessions will run across Wales throughout September.

Michelle Matheron, the institute’s director for Wales, said the impact of lifelong learning “can be transformative”, adding: “In a fast-changing world the message to never stop learning is more important than ever.”

Anyone inspired by Aaron’s story can get free advice on courses and training through Working Wales on 0800 028 4844.

Author

Kit Peters

Kit Peters is a journalist and the editor of Swansea Bay News, covering Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire since 2020.