Adnams has formed a partnership with the Edge Hotel School in Colchester to offer two scholarships, worth £3,000 each, to students from Suffolk, Essex or Norfolk.

As well as being a brewer and distiller, Adnams also runs three coastal hotels, The Swan and The Crown at Southwold , and The White Horse at Blakeney.

Sadie Lofthouse, HR director at Adnams, said: “Our success in the hospitality sector is built on an unequalled level of customer service, so we are always looking for new people to join our team who are knowledgeable, skilled and passionate.

“We also recognise that we need to proactively train and support the next generation of leaders if we want the sector to flourish. The scholarship, together with The Edge Hotel School, is a chance to invest in the future of our region’s young people so they are ready to build a successful career in hospitality.”

The Edge Hotel School, based at the University of Essex, offers two-year accelerated degree courses in hotel management and events management, combining academic studies with practical work in the four-star Wivenhoe House hotel.

The scholarships will be awarded to one student who enrols on the Edge Hotel School’s hotel management course in September 2017 and to another who starts on the February 2018 intake.

Andrew Boer, principal at the Edge Hotel School, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for students and we are immensely grateful to Adnams for their support. Our students are expected to have integrity and be professional, hospitable, passionate and motivated. These are essential skills for the world of hospitality.”