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careers in foodservice


Case study: front of house


Who? Emma Powell, 33, What? Area manager Where? Wilson Vale (www.wilsonvale.co.uk)


Give us the nitty gritty I look after a portfolio of 10 clients in the Midlands and South. I joined Wilson Vale as a chef-manager in 2010 and went on to become a relief manager, covering sites across the Midlands, until my promotion to area management in November 2011.


That’s pretty impressive considering you left school at 15 – how did you train? I joined an agency as a silver service waitress and did the circuit of racecourses, such as Ascot, Epsom and Sandown. I then landed an apprenticeship position with Sodexo Prestige at Ascot and gained experience in all departments. That included a day-release course at Thames Valley College, where I completed an NVQ Level 2 in food.


And this propelled you on? Yes. By the time I was 21, I was chef-manager at the Biomedical Research Centre in Warren Street in London, and I then spent nine years as a chef-manager with Harrison Catering.


Do you get much support on the job? Yes, at Wilson Vale I report to the co-founder, Carolyne Vale. I can turn to her at any time and she will advise me. It’s brilliant to have a boss who is so willing to help. HR manager Marion Speed is also my mentor.


So you are constantly being developed? Absolutely. For instance, there are craft training workshops, such as a sushi workshop, and the area managers get together for trips to restaurants and markets.


Does being a manager mean you are no longer hands-on? No. The great thing about Wilson Vale is that we never cast our chef uniforms aside. I am probably in my chef’s whites about 80% of the time. We are managers, yet we jump into the kitchen at a moment’s notice. We are development chefs too, and are


constantly sharing ideas and looking for new ways to improve the food offer.


You had a lot of responsibility at a young age Age is irrelevant; the important thing is to have a willingness to learn and to work hard, because the harder you work, the more rewards you get in terms of job satisfaction.


What do you love about your job? Working with people. I feel that I am still learning, but I love sharing knowledge and seeing a member of the team develop.


What’s next? I want to move into training because that is what really makes my heart beat.


What’s your top tip? Work hard, believe in yourself and take advice from others around you.


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