Celebrating women in hospitality on International Women’s Day 2019

What stands out more than anything is their passion for hospitality and the people who work with them, inspire them and help them strive to achieve every single day.

We speak to Wendy Bartlett MBE, Sunaina Sethi, Sara Jayne Stanes OBE and Maxine Muir about their careers in hospitality.

Wendy Bartlett MBE

Wendy Bartlett MBE is executive chairman of independent caterer Bartlett Mitchell, which she launched in 2000 with chairman Ian Mitchell. The firm, alongside sister brand Inn or Out Events, which it acquired in 2014, delivers workplace catering, executive dining, hospitality and event catering as well as reception and concierge services throughout London and south-east England. Today the company employs more than 800 people across 90 sites.

We asked Wendy what were her inspirations growing up? Did she have another career path in mind or was hospitality always the goal?

My biggest inspiration was my older sister, Janice, who worked in the London hospitality scene and introduced me to the sector. I used to ‘volunteer’ help by washing up at the club she worked at. It was really good fun and I got to meet some interesting people.

I never considered any other career. I like people and working in hospitality gave me access to so many different types of personalities. I knew it was where I saw my future.

Was there a ‘light bulb’ moment when you knew that hospitality was where you wanted to focus?

During my ‘O’ levels, I had the opportunity to work weekends with a lady called Mrs Ferneaux who ran Harrington Hall, a boutique accommodation only hotel in Kensington.

I worked on reception and looked after the hotel – I absolutely loved it. I was meeting some brilliant people and helping to organise their stay at the hotel. I realised that I really liked what hospitality stands for; you are ultimately helping people to enjoy themselves and make their day run smoothly.

Mrs Fernaux did tell me that, despite being very good at what I did, I needed to have elocution lessons otherwise I wouldn’t make it in this industry! It was a great learning curve and one that I really took so much from.

We asked Wendy about mentors and the people she aspired to. Would she advocate finding a mentor to young women entering the industry today?

In my formative years at Sutcliffe, Don Davenport and Mike Oldfield, had absolute faith in me to deliver no matter what the situation. They were supportive of what I did, even if I went off-piste to find solutions. They always challenged me and gave me the right guidance and support to succeed.

I was very fortunate to work with William Baxter who, when he found out I wanted to start my own business, just told me to get on with it. It was great advice.

Then there is Ian Mitchell – you truly couldn’t ask for a better business partner. He had complete faith in me, which was a massive compliment as he has such high standards. All of these people have been incredibly supportive throughout my career.

We set up a ‘Women Who Inspire’ award last year. This wasn’t to recognise women who are ‘fighting to make it good in a man’s world’; this was to encourage at all levels talented women in our business and give them the confidence and courage to keep pushing. I advocate finding a mentor to anybody. Mentoring is hugely important for career development.

For young women entering the industry, it’s important to look at role models and see that nothing can hold them back, only themselves.

Have you been involved with or used the services of any industry led support organisations and if so which ones and in what capacity?

I’ve mentored through the Institute of Hospitality’s mentoring programme. It’s a well-structured and excellent resource for career development.

I also sit on the board of UK Hospitality. For me, this has been very useful as it offers a breadth of knowledge from across the sector.

Delving a little deeper we wanted to find out the things Wendy loves about the industry, things she finds hard and the most challenging aspects personally in the day to day running of Bartlett Mitchell?

I love the people in this industry the most. Our industry is full of personalities, of many talented and passionate people who really want to make a difference, no matter where they started. This really makes our sector one of the best out there, and I genuinely believe although we work harder, we have much more fun.

In my business, the thing that gives Ian and I most joy is when we can impact somebody’s life in a small way to make it better. Whether it’s a call from somebody thanking us for a birthday call, or whether we have supported somebody who has developed from being a kitchen porter to a chef, these things really make us happy.

The industry does have some challenges. Getting one body to represent the interests of our sector has always been hard. It has made recruitment more difficult and caused some issues around skills and the industries position.

My personal challenges at work are often focused around making sure I am doing what is right for the team. It is really important that any decisions we make as a business is right for our people too. This is always on my mind.

Finally… what advice would Wendy give her younger self?

Exactly what my big sister told me – “Believe in yourself and be yourself. You can do anything.”

​Twenty years ago, some people may have questioned the fact that a woman was launching a business in an industry dominated by men. But being female never held me back. It actually helped me as I offered something different. I’ve always encouraged individuality in people. Having your own thoughts and views will only ever help you succeed. I never let my gender define me and the men I worked with never saw it that way either.

I love my career and I love the industry. I wouldn’t change anything!

Sunaina Sethi

Next we chatted with Sunaina Sethi, Operations Director and Wine Buyer for JKS Restaurants. In 2012 Sunaina was named by Zagat as one of their ’30 under 30’ up-and-coming young stars of London’s food scene, and in 2016 Sunaina was voted Imbibe’s Restaurant Personality of the Year.

What started as a one-Michelin-starred restaurant – Trishna in London – has grown into a mini empire popular with guides, critics and customers alike. JKS Restaurants (named after Jyotin, Karam and Sunaina Sethi, the three siblings behind it) has two Michelin-starred restaurants of its own (Trishna, plus Gymkhana in Mayfair), as well as two sites in London under its casual Sri Lankan street food brand Hoppers.

We asked Sunaina did hospitality play a part in her childhood and what her career goals were?

My early memories are of family dinners, lots of entertaining, great food and being encouraged to try everything, to experience new tastes. Sunday nights were all about family dining together and when my parents entertained at home I was ‘front of house’, passing around the drinks and taking coats. I feel very lucky to have had opportunities from a very early age to travel and be exposed to different cultures but hospitality wasn’t in my sights as a career option.

I studied German and Management Studies and a career in banking beckoned and although I loved German I just didn’t click with banking. After my internship with HSBC on my return to the UK my brothers asked me to help out at their restaurant as a stopgap even though I’d never worked in a restaurant.

Was there a ‘Light bulb’ moment? 

Yes! It happened on day three or four of working in the restaurant. I’d been filling out job applications and realised that hospitality was where I wanted to be. The applications went in the bin and I joined the team at Trishna. I loved it. It was like hosting a dinner party every night and exciting working with the team. It also felt a bit like cheating as drinking wine for research was part of the job.

Are there any people in the industry who inspire you?

My brothers and family are a source of inspiration every single day and their belief and trust in me and my abilities is empowering.

Sandia Chang is someone in the industry who inspired me when we first met at Simon Rogan’s pop up restaurant where I was working. Sandia has incredible knowledge and experience and I learnt so much about wine from her. Over the years she has continued to inspire me and it is a pleasure working in partnership with Sandia now.

Again in the wine world Jancis Robinson’s knowledge has always stimulated me to learn more Danny Meyer’s ‘Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business’ is a must read for anyone working in service industries and hospitality.

Do you network and are there any organisations or groups you would recommend?

In London ‘Women in Wine’ is a great group to be part of. Their aim is to inspire, educate and engage women working in London’s wine industry and it’s a great forum that provides women with a strong network to positively impact their professional development.

I’ve also been involved with LOR (Ladies of Restaurants), which was set up to support women of the hospitality industry. Its all about discussion and ways we can help each other; whether that’s making introductions, assisting someone looking for a new job, or just meeting to have a glass of wine.

It’s a diverse group with L.O.R’s coming from all sectors of the industry including front of house, back of house, marketing, PR and wine.

Things you love, things you don’t and the day-to-day challenges?

I love that no two days are the same and the opportunities I have to meet so many different people. People are fascinating and aspects of my role that I enjoy are learning and developing, changing the face of hospitality, mentoring, training and supporting the team. Being proactive, staying ahead and growing our team in a dynamic industry are exciting elements for me.

That said there are days when all of the above can be challenging; staff retention, training and development are so important and getting it right is fundamental to any successful business.

Working with my family means there is no down time because every conversation eventually comes round to the business and that’s great because it means it’s still fresh and exciting.

Sara Jayne Stanes OBE

Sara Jayne Stanes OBE is Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, Britain’s principal association of leading chefs, restaurant managers and hospitality professionals committed to the education and training of the emerging generation of young chefs, pastry chefs and waiters across the UK.

Sara Jayne is also CEO of The Adopt a School Trust that educates primary school children about food in a holistic sense from food provenance, nutrition, food cultures and cookery skills.

We started by asking Sara Jayne about her early career and her entry point into the industry she is so clearly passionate about.

I had no idea what career path I wanted to follow and got a job as a temp with a film and TV production company. I was asked to stay on as a permanent member of staff and against my mother’s better judgement I agreed to do it for a year then go to college. 20 years later I had climbed the ladder and was a producer – I never went to college.

My business partner got a contract to make a movie in America and in their absence I started working on an idea to make 45-minute films about food. Research for this project led me to meet Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux, Richard Shepherd, Brian Turner and Nico Ladenis, and I was inspired by their powerful enthusiasm and commitment to food, cooking and pleasing their guests.

That was your ‘light bulb’ moment?

I was experiencing a whole new culinary world that was progressive and completely different from any industry I had worked in before. It was during this time that Richard Shepherd introduced me to Michel Bourdin who was one of the founders of the l’Academie Culinaire de France (UK) now Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA).

It wasn’t so much a light bulb moment, more an understanding that I could create my own path and work with the leading chefs and hospitality stars of the day, when everything was changing and new equipment, new recipes, new ways of recruiting were happening and, long before television made chefs superstars, it was exciting to be part of that.

Who were your inspirations?

Michel Roux Snr., Albert Roux, Raymond Blanc, Richard Shepherd, Brian Turner and so many more passionate, enthusiastic chefs. They have such a connection with everything they do and have a special something that inspired those around them. I describe it as ‘an electricity of communication’ – energy and ideas.

I quickly realised that as a group we could take hospitality in a new direction – making it an industry that young people wanted to be part of. Hospitality at the time was an unloved, unrecognised sector.

We created awards for excellence and started apprenticeships to change the message from one that suggested that the industry was a last resort job option. We looked at ways of reaching out to potential recruits and started the ‘Adopt a School’ programme in 1990, giving young people access to chefs and cooking.

John Williams, Chairman of RACA, is someone with a powerful work ethic on training, mentoring and supporting people. His skill at managing expectations and unlocking the road to understanding within hospitably should not be underestimated.

With your background as a filmmaker how did you expand your hospitality knowledge?

Everyone who was involved with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts was there to share their knowledge and experience. It was a wonderful environment in which to learn as much as possible.

Michel Roux was my light bulb chocolate moment which inspired me to learn about chocolate and pastry and so on Saturday mornings would cycle to the Roux pastry kitchen and the legendary pastry chef, Ian Ironside, would teach me about chocolate, my other passion.

I think gaining more knowledge was about being engaged and excited by what was happening in the industry and exploring ways in which we could raise standards and encourage more people to think about careers in hospitality.

Creating awards within RACA helped too; being surrounded by so much experience rubs off. In an industry where the perception is one of long hours, antisocial working patterns, hard work for minimum wage, knowing that we were raising standards and creating aspirations was fulfilling. It was a catalyst to continue to look at ways in which we could change perceptions and raise standards.

Are there any organisations you would recommend to anyone starting out?

Obviously the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts is close to my heart but there are some other organisations, such as Springboard UK, a great source of information, which people should consider.

I would definitely encourage the young from the front of house to enter the Gold Service Scholarship, which is a massive learning opportunity. It is definitely a launch pad for the young and aspiring professionals to develop their careers.

And never overlook the impact that catering colleges can, and do have, such as Westminster Kingsway, University of West London, Bournemouth & Poole, University College Birmingham, Liverpool City College, for example.

Networking is important too. Attending workshops and seminars are a great way of meeting others from outside your own organisation and finding our about career opportunities.

Your passion is obvious, what about the challenges?

In whatever industry there will always be red tape and ever increasing corporate governance. I just want to get on with it and sometimes feel frustrated by the amount of time spent working on things that take me away from the day-to-day delivery of apprenticeships, awards and career development.

Chocolate?

The difference between chocolate and chocolate confectionery is another cause I champion. I adore the stuff! In 1986 I started by own ‘hobby’ chocolate business – Sara Jayne’s Chocolate Truffles – and now I regularly give lectures and tastings, demonstrating chocolate and its origins and its story throughout history.

The Academy of Chocolate, of which I am Chairman, was founded in 2005 by five of Britain’s leading chocolate professionals, united in the belief that eating fine chocolate is one of life’s great pleasures.

Academy members meet to taste, discuss, demonstrate and debate issues regarding sourcing, transparency and the journey from bean to bar. We host regular events where members of the public and chocolate lovers are welcome to attend.

And finally… what advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t be impatient! You never know what’s going to happen so be open to anything. Understand that people change and learn from that too. Don’t be afraid to take on the simple tasks when you start out – it’s all part of building your knowledge. Don’t regret anything; take away something positive from each experience

Maxine Muir

Maxine Muir is Director of People and Talent at Macdonald Hotels & Resorts 

Maxine was born in the UK and moved to South Africa as a child where she attended the University of Johannesburg and started her career with City Lodge Hotel Group

Was Hospitality always your first career choice?

Yes (apart from when I was a small child and wanted to be a nurse). At school I had an aptitude test that indicated that a career in hospitality would suit me.

I decided to try and get into hotel school in Johannesburg but the entry criteria required a year’s work experience to show commitment. It was an expensive qualification but I knew that this was what I wanted to do and luckily I managed to get a job and eventually a Degree in Hospitality Management.

When I graduated the SA hospitality industry was in a lull and jobs were hard to get. I got a job as a receptionist with the City Lodge Hotel Group and never looked back. I stayed within the group for over 24 years becoming a General Manager for three properties.

Why Talent Management?

I realised early on I was passionate about development people and being instrumental in their journey within the organisation. ‘Talent Management’ as a career didn’t exist in South Africa at the time and over three years our team put a plan together that met the requirements of the Black Economic Empowerment movement and the needs of the industry.

During this time I was headhunted so went to Marcel Kobilski, HR Director at the time and was honest about what I really wanted. He was 100% supportive and created the post of Talent Manager with responsibility for the teams within 52 hotels.

We had an opportunity to create a platform that included Graduate Recruitment and Succession Planning programmes. The Talent Management programme resulted in 91% of General Managers being promoted from within our existing workforce and a 6% annual staff turnover during a huge period of growth in South African hospitality.

Mentoring, Coaching, Training

For me it was important to find a mentor who balanced out my energy and enthusiasm. Within the industry Marcel Kobilski and I worked together for 24 years and I found his perspective and support invaluable. He was happy to share his knowledge and was prepared to fight for the people he worked with.

I also had an external coach, Barry Greenwood, who gave me personal insights that, married with Marcel’s input, helped me have a balanced approach to my role.

Right now working with Ruaridh MacDonald, Deputy CE of MacDonald Hotel on our Talent Management programmes is inspiring and exciting.

Something I’ve learnt is the value of having a mentor. Mentoring, coaching and training are different and there should be more education about the impact and influence a mentor can have. Finding someone within your organisation who understands the challenges you face can help you to progress to the next level. It’s also about diverse thinking, not being pigeonholed.

How do you network?

Moving to the UK meant leaving behind my SA network and starting again. I quickly realised that I needed Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development qualifications and found this organisation really helpful in so many ways. It offered me access to a network of people who were striving to achieve similar goals and opportunities to attend workshops and discussions.

The Reward Gateway is another organisation I’m involved with and Work180 is the only platform that pre-screens employers to see how well they support women’s careers – something I’m really passionate about.

Working with Charities

We’ve recently started working with ‘The Clink’, a charity offering training and support to offenders and ex-offenders. Restaurants are situated within working prisons and all the food is prepared and served by prisoners in training.

Prisoners work up to 40 hours per week whilst working towards City & Guild qualifications Graduates are then supported to help them secure accommodation and employment upon release. The programme is getting results with 49.6% of participants less likely to reoffend.

We also work with Betel UK, a charity set up by Sir Peter Vardy. It’s an independent Christian charity for men, women and families affected by drug and alcohol addiction and homelessness with aims to bring people back to the workplace.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Developing people. I know it sounds clichéd but I work with the most amazing group of people and each day is exciting and challenging. With the Talent Management team I feel that we are on the precipice of something very significant.

And challenges?

There are still so many preconceived ideas about our industry that need to change. Ways of doing things that are outmoded and attitudes to staff that shouldn’t exist in the 21^st century.

I’ve always believed that women bring a different dimension to hospitality and listening and allowing women to contribute their ideas can add tremendous value to any project.

Pay inequality is another area I’m concerned with as in my experience women have to work twice as hard to achieve this. It’s not about the volume of change, it about every little drop in the ocean making a difference.

Any final words of advice?

Follow your dreams and your heart, believe in yourself and know your value. Never underestimate the power of networking.

There is an African proverb ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. Hospitality is like that; an entire community of people interacting with teams and staff to experience and grow in a safe and rewarding environment.

Growing and Retaining Women in the Hospitality Industry

One thing we’ve learned on International Women’s Day is that women bring huge amounts of passion, energy and genuine smarts to our Industry. There are so many ways in which organisations can offer support and encourage women in the workplace.

Networking: Women like to chat, discuss and share experiences. Get HR to research networking opportunities and share them with employees. Encourage employees to find their own networking groups.

Mentoring: Set up a mentoring programme within your organisation and make it part of your monitoring and annual review process.

Entry Programmes: Create programmes where potential employees can experience paid ‘Taster Days’

Continuous Professional Development: Sometimes employees reach a point of stagnation. Offering opportunities to learn new skills or gain qualifications can be a pathway to retention and growth.

Thinking Outside the Box: Find out what an employees passions are and look at ways of developing these. Innovation is all about passion.

Encourage Debate: Give employees opportunities to share their thoughts and views and respect them. It’s a great forum approach to new ideas and ways of working.