A former cheese company owner is among 35 St. James's Place Academy graduates set to be offered a role as a wealth manager.

Emma Dandy, who spent five years running her La Cremerie in Hertfordshire and has appeared on BBC One's Spring Kitchen with Tom Kerridge, completed the two-year training programme.

Ms Dandy, who has been a judge at the World Cheese Awards and Great Taste Awards, is also a former financial journalist.

She said: “I was very familiar with St. James’s Place during my years as a journalist, and felt the academy would provide an excellent grounding for a new career in financial advice.

“The training was rigorous and comprehensive, and St James’s Place have a history in building, solid, sustainable businesses.”

The SJP academy took place at four regional academies (London, Manchester, Solihull & Edinburgh)

Now with in excess of 250 graduates, the academy and the Next Generation Academy has 200 currently studying on programmes nationwide.

SJP cited figures showing that since 1992, the number of financial advisers in the UK has fallen from 250,000 to around 23,000.

Jason Flood, academy director, St. James’s Place, said: “As personal finance becomes ever more complex, there is an increased need for sound financial advice but the severe shortage of suitably qualified and high quality, ethically-focused advisers in the UK persists. The Academy programme plays a crucial role in meeting this demand.”

“Academy candidates come from a wide range of backgrounds, but are often people looking for a career change or a new challenge.

“Graduates are from varied walks of life, with different skill sets, and are trained through a robust Academy process that ensures they are in the best possible position to provide high-quality advice to clients upon graduation.

“Leading the way in the financial adviser sphere, 23 per cent of the graduates are women, almost double the industry average. Furthermore, the average age of graduates is 39, almost 20 years younger than the average.”