FRONT OF HOUSE IT’S A RUM OLD WORLD


Bertrand Lienafa, Group Hospitality and Events Development Manager with ISS Facility Services food & hospitality has a wealth of experience, supported by his early involvement in the Front of House function. From Commis, to running a speciality rum business, Bertrand’s path is an indication of the world of opportunities that Front of House can provide.


My first involvement in Front of House was working at Le Pont de la Tour, an iconic restaurant in London in the mid-90s. I worked as a Commis, a position crucial in any restaurant. The Commis is the connection between the kitchen and Front of house. You’re providing information to those critical people behind the scenes and those facing the customers. What I learned during those valuable months was consistency, understanding and anticipating what customers want, how to react quickly to a difficult situation, and the poise needed to carry a tray full of drinks!


“I FOLLOWED MY PASSION FOR RUM.”


When the General Manager of Pont de la Tour moved on to the Orrery restaurant in central London, I went along too in the role of Commis Barman. In addition to dispensing various beverages, I was surrounded by exceptional people who developed my passion for quality and gave me the drive and opportunity to progress my career.


One of my main objectives was


to interact with “real” clients and develop amazing taste experiences for our customers. This wasn’t just creating cocktails, it was creating an entire experience - fulfilling (and exceeding) customer needs. I gained exceptional practical learning skills whilst I underwent various training programmes. When the Head Barman


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eventually moved on, I was promoted to his role and he gave me some essential advice: “Specialise in one area, this industry is vast enough, you cannot know it all; choose something you really like and know it well, VERY well...you’ll go far.”


Taking his advice I followed my passion for rum. I created my own little company, importing quality rum from Martinique (my homeland) and supplying several high profile restaurants in London. In addition to the rum venture, I also took some HCIMA courses to grow and improve a solid business foundation. With this kind of expert knowledge, I also wrote articles for specialised media and presented a session at the Spirits and Drinks Fair.


My Front of House experience and insights played a part in my next job as Hospitality Manager for a City law firm which had just moved to new corporate premises. The organisation planned to offer a Michelin star journey to their clients and wanted someone with Michelin level knowledge to manage their front of house/butler team and fine dining department. My practical experience and expertise put me in an excellent position to meet the requirements. I was also able to follow intense management training within the firm, giving me the skills to manage people at a higher level.


Subsequent roles with landmark hospitality establishments in London led me to my current position where I’m in charge of the Hospitality sector for a large financial institution in


Canary Wharf. I joined one of the world largest service providers to help manage this contract. My role is to ensure the service we deliver is at the highest level - whether the client dines in London or Glasgow.


“I LEARNED CONSISTENCY,


UNDERSTANDING, HOW TO REACT


QUICKLY AND THE POISE NEEDED TO


CARRY A TRAY FULL OF DRINKS!”


The role involves dealing with clients, partners and team members at all levels. There is a real focus on training and product knowledge and we constantly review new initiatives to see whether different innovations can improve our service.


We also support our industry at community level to encourage people at all levels; on May 21st 2015, we again support the Springboard charity and their National Waiter’s Day event in London.


Presentation, anticipation and excellent service are at the heart of what we do, and we aim to do it with passion; and to do it well, Front of House experience helps to lay the groundwork.


www.uk.issworld.com twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


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