Stepping Stones
Many will recognise Anna as being the face of the Brasserie Restaurant at The Barnstaple Hotel, but Anna's story had a very different beginning. At Brend Collection, we recognise and cherish the career journey our staff will go through and many will have a similar story to Anna.
Let's take it back to the beginning where Anna started her journey. Joining The Barnstaple Hotel in 2008 in the housekeeping department and taking the leap to complete an NVQ in housekeeping, Anna's hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed landing her a promotion in 2012, as Deputy Housekeeper.
After three years, Anna recognised her passion lay elsewhere and made the decision to follow her dreams to pursue a different career path in the Restaurant industry. After spending some time working in a local restaurant, Anna made her debut return to The Barnstaple Hotel in the summer of 2015. Working as a waitress, Anna's passion for her newfound role lead to a new chapter. Anna's supervisory and leadership skills combined with her love for the front-of-house role landed her a promotion to Deputy Restaurant Manager in December 2015, with further promotion to Restaurant Manager in 2016.
Taking the Lead
Anna takes an active lead in passing on her extensive knowledge of allergen training, silver service and smarter working styles to her restaurant team as well as completing various qualifications such as a Level 3 in Food Safety. There are very few people at The Barnstaple Hotel to who Anna has not shared her knowledge to help them to pursue their careers much like Anna did her own. On a day to day, Anna is responsible for running the restaurant services as well as ensuring her team follows through on their training providing the warming hospitality The Barnstaple Hotel is known for.
"I love that we all look out for each other and are happy to help each other to succeed in giving the best experience to our guests. I am lucky enough to be given the trust and independence to run the restaurant in a way that I think is best with the backing from my training through the Brend Careers, with the support and guidance to further my career with additional qualifications. To see so many guests return is a particular highlight to me, to hear their great feedback of how they enjoyed their stay and that myself and my team have contributed to that."
We cannot wait to see how Anna's career will further progress within the Brend Collection, and how she'll further aid the progression of her fellow colleagues.