Everyone Starts Somewhere

Take a look at where our Inspirational Leaders started their careers.

Michael Flaxman
Hotel School > Operational Positions > Development > Managing Director > Chief Operating Officer
Don Davenport
Chef > Training Management Course > Area Manager > Regional Director > Group Managing Director > Chief Executive
Peter Avis
GCSE > Washing Dishes > Head Waiter > Supervisor > Assistant Restaurant Manager > Restaurant Manager
Gerard Basset
School > Sommelier > Head Sommelier > Master of Wine
Giorgio Locatelli
Family Restaurant > Various Chef Positions > Head Chef
Nick Romano
Kitchen hand > Qualified Chef > Senior Management > General Manager > Chief Executive
Alison Frith
Waitress > Contract Catering > Started Company Artizian
Andrew McKenzie
Hall Porter > Management Training Scheme > General Manager (age 26) > Managing Director
Dominic Chapman
Kitchen Work (Family Hotel) > Sous Chef > Head Chef
Emma Jenkins
Waitress (parents café) > Receptionist > Trainee Management > Front of House Manager > Human Resources
Michel Roux
Apprenticeship > Commis Chef > Chef > Military Service as Cook > Founder Waterside Inn (Michelin Guide 3 stars)
Anton Edelmann
Apprentice > Commis Chef > Senior Sous Chef > Head Chef > Hotel & Restaurant Owner
Eren Ali
Family Printing Business (age 8) > School > Polytechnic College > Design Career > Opened Restaurant
Paul Sadler
Part Time Bar Work > Receptionist > General Manager
Rob Rees
Kitchen Assistant > 25 Years Cooking Around Globe > Cotswold Chef
Robert Cook
Lived in a hotel for 18 years > Hotel Trainee Position > University > Managing Director > Chief Executive
Stephanie Moon
College > Washing up > Cooked around the World > Head Chef
Charles Prew
Kitchen Porter > Hotel School > Operations Director > Managing Director > Vice President > Chief Executive Officer
Julia Hands
Law degree > Solicitor > Running Business
Tim Bacon
Milk Boy > Actor > Bar Tender Apprenticeship > Bar & Restaurant Consultancy > Managing Director
Grant McKenzie
Senior Bar Tender > Restaurant and Bar Manager > Assistant Operations Manager > Deputy General Manager > General Manager (age 26)
Brian Turner
On the job training > Chef Lecturer > Chef de Cuisine > Executive Chef
Chris and Jeff Galvin
Jeff = Junior Sous > Sous Chef > Head Chef > Executive Chef > Joint Founder
Chris = Worked in neighbourhood restaurant > Head Chef > Chef Director of the Group > Executive Chef > Joint Founder
Cyrus Todiwala
Hotel Administration > Commis Chef > Executive Chef > Restaurant Owner
David Fairhurst
Graduate Trainee > European Director of Recruitment and Leadership  > Corporate HR Director > Senior Vice President > Chief People Officer 
David Loewi
Porter > Degree > 3 years at Claridge’s > Food and Beverage Director > Managing Director
David Morgan-Hewitt
Law and History at University > Waiter (holiday job) > Restaurant Manager > Managing Director
Helena Puolakka
Trained as Chef in Finland > Sous Chef (London) > Chef de Partie (Paris) > Executive Chef
Iqbal Wahhab
London school of Economics > Journalist > Opened PR Company > Launched Tandoori Magazine > Launched Restaurant
Jane Renton
Trainee Management Programme > Hotel Management > Placement > Lecturing Posts > General Manager
Jeremy Goring 
Average student > Diploma hotel management > Cook/waiter > Deputy GM > Run Hotel > Chief Executive
Jun Tanaka
Started in Kitchen (age 19) > 10 Years Working with Best Chefs > Executive Chef
Kiaran Macdonald
Degree in Hotel Management > Rooms Division > Food and Beverage Manager > Director of Food and Beverage > Hotel Manager > General Manager
Laura Rhys 
Degree International Hospitality Management > Sommelier > Assistant Head Sommelier > Head Sommelier
Liz McGivern
Cleaner > Pub worker > Waitressing > Training Job > Director of HR and Training
Michael Shepherd
Hotel Administration Degree > Managed Hotels
Olga Polizzi
Career in Politics > Set up Hotel
Paul Gayler
Family Catering Business > Catering School > Head Chef > Executive Chef
Phil Hooper
HND Hotel & Catering Management > Management Trainee > Sales & Operational Roles > Communications > Corporate Affairs Director
Rupert Ellwood
Hotel & Catering Course > Assistant Banqueting Manager > Deputy Head of Catering > Managing Director
Sean Wheeler
Glass Washer > Catering College > Operations Manager > HR Manager > People Development
Silvano Giraldin
Catering College > Waiter > Sommelier > Maitre d' > Manager > Director
Simon King
HND Hospitality Management > Chef de rang > Head Waiter > Restaurant Manager > General Manager
Sir Rocco Forte
School > Modern Languages > Accountant > Chief Executive > Chairman
Stephen Alden
Night Receptionist > International Hotel Management > Senior Vice President > Chief Executive
Tim West
Kitchen Porter > HND Hotel & Catering Management > Operations & Regional Manager > Managing Director > Chief Executive
Elena Salvoni
Factory Work > Waitress > Maitre d'
David Fox
Accountant > Founder of Restaurant
Gerry Yeung
University (Maths) > Trainee Accountant > Family Business
Jason Harding
Carpenter > Hotel Work > Rooms Division > General Manager > MSC Hospitality
Peter Ward
Trainee in hotel > Experienced each Department > General Manager > Director of own Business  
Andrew and Jacquie Pern
Andrew = Technical college > Self taught degree > Head Chef (age 22) > Hotel Owner
Jacquie = Born into Hospitality Family > Stage School > Front of House >Hotel Owner
Paul Heathcote
College > Chef > Opened Restaurant (age 29)
Alastair Storey
Catering College > BA in Hotel and Catering Management > Group Managing Director > Chief Executive
Robyn Jones
School Dinner Lady > General Manager > Set up Business
William Baxter
HND Hotel & Catering > Assistant Manager > Area Manager > Deputy CEO
David Baldwin
Left School (no Qualifications) > Kitchen Worker > Merchant Navy > Pub Manager > Self Employed Licensee
Danny Pecorelli
Hotel Training Programme > University Summer School > Sales / Marketing > General Manager > Managing Director
Philippe Rossiter
Insurance Broker > Army Catering > Degree in Hotel and Catering > Management MBA > CEO
Rupert Spurgeon
Receptionist > Grill Chef > Porter > Assistant Food and Beverage Manager > Conference and Banqueting Manager > Event Sales Manager > General Manager
Harry Murray
Apprentice Chef > Trained in every department > Managing Director
Peter Hancock
Barman > Head Waiter > Restaurant Manager > General Manager
Richard Shepherd
Apprentice > Commis > Chef de Partie > Chef de Cuisine > Executive Chef
Surinder Arora
School > Customer Service > Sales > Property Buying
Alan Parker
Worked as a boy in Family Restaurant > University of Surrey > Harvard Business School > Vice President > Managing Director > Chief Executive
Gary Rhodes
Catering College > Junior Chef > Michelin Star (age 26) > TV Chef
Jamie Oliver
Helped in Parents Restaurant > Left school (age 16) > Catering College > On the job training > The Naked Chef
Michael Caines
Help cook at home > Founder
Raymond Blanc
Waiter > Took over Ill Chef > Opened 1st Restaurant (age 28)
Paul Milsom
School > Tourism Management Degree > Family Owned Company > Managing Director
Lee Cash
Peeling Vegetables > Catering College > Restaurant Duty Manager > Pub Chain Founder
Prue Leith
Study in Paris > Learnt to Cook in London > Set up Business
James Tanner
Part time Pub Work > Diploma in Catering Management > Experience with Roux Brothers > Opened Restaurant
John Price
Glass Collector > Night Porter > Hotel Management Degree > Front Office > Operations Manager
Tony Hughes
Head Waiter > Restaurant Manager > Catering Manager > Operations Manager > Managing Director > Board Member

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News

10/09/2023
The Battlesteads named 2010 Great British Pub of the Year.
The Battlesteads in Wark-on-Tyne, Northumberland, has been named the 2010 Great British Pub of the Ye... read more

Events

A Cheese Masterclass with Executive Chef of The Lanesborough
10/09/2023
Cafe Spice Namaste
10.30-2.30
Paul Gayler is one of the finest of the new generation of British Executive Chefs leading the way wit... read more
Smiles of Britain - Festival Smile

Festival Smile

1 month ago
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