It was announced this week that Jameston restaurant, the Tudor Lodge, is the regional winner of the Edge Awards 2007, winning a prize of £5,000 for further investment into training and development of young people. The restaurant battled it out to win the small business category and will now go through to the national finals to be held in November. Edge is an independent foundation dedicated to raising the desirability and status of vocational and practical learning among 14 - 25-year-olds of all levels of ability. The Tudor Lodge offers the chance for students to be part of an in-house academy, which allows them a stepping-stone into the industry, or the chance of employment within the restaurant. It also has a training kitchen available to which local schools in the area bring students who are more vocationally minded to do a placement scheme with order to give them a taste of the trade. Andy Powell, CEO of Edge, said: "Edge is delighted to award this prize to the Tudor Lodge restaurant. The Tudor Lodge has shown that it is creating some valuable experiences for young people in Wales and has shown that hands-on learning is good for employers and employees alike. This is a great example of the good work we want to praise and reward." The Edge Awards rewards organisations that provide outstanding learning opportunities for 14–25 year-olds and is also rewarding individuals for their learning achievements. This year Edge is awarding over £300,000 to employers that provide quality apprenticeships, excellent work placements and other practical learning opportunities. Jamie Bessant, restaurant manager and head chef at the Tudor Lodge, said: "It's wonderful that the academy has received recognition for its good work and the money is a fantastic investment into the development of the students' learning - after all, they are the future of the industry." The Tudor Lodge will be attending the awards ceremony held in London on November 22 to discover whether it has become a national winner.