1.HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN HOSPITALITY?

After I left university I was stuck for a Job, I was friend’s with Jackson Boxer from growing up in South London and he persuaded me into waiting tables at his restaurant Brunswick House. Thats where I caught the bug.

 

2. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THIS INDUSTRY THAT YOU COULDN’T LEARN IN ANOTHER?
How to read people, instantly. After a while working in the industry you are able to tell what kind of service a guest will like just by observing how they walk in through the door and hand over their coat.
3. TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT SPRING AND HOW THE CONCEPT CAME ABOUT?
Spring is a 100 cover restaurant in the New Wing of Somerset House. Owned and headed up by Skye Gyngell, the room, the service and of course the food are all reflections of her. She designed the restaurant with her sister, it has an incredible family feel front of house and back of house. Spring works together with Fern Verrow, a farm in Herefordshire so we always work with the best seasonal produce.

 

4. LET’S TALK STAFFING: WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN THE BEST CANDIDATES?
I only hire for front of house so it’s always about personality, you can teach the order of service but the characteristic of being naturally hospitable is for me always more important than work experience.
5. WORST THING YOU’VE SEEN A CANDIDATE DO IN AN INTERVIEW?
We had someone apply for a full time job, then in the interview it transpired that not only did they not want to work full time but that they could only work a Thursday lunch every two weeks. Time is a precious commodity in a restaurant and that was a complete waste of mine.

 

6. BEST THING YOU’VE SEEN A CANDIDATE DO IN AN INTERVIEW?
I’ve had lots of great interviews. The candidates who come as themselves and relax into the interview are the best. It’s so important that a new hire fits into the team and is passionate about the same things we are so if you can just get chatting then I know you will fit in and the guests will love you.
 
7. TOP 5 SPOTS  AND THE BEST THING TO ORDER:
The Clove Club – they don’t let you do a lot of ordering but anything you have there will be amazing. I’ve recently gone dairy free and they did the most accommodating delicious alternative tasting menu.
40 Maltby Street, again I could order the menu and everything would be delicious, but I love sitting at the bar and drinking.
The Garden cafe in Lambeth Garden Museum – I’m a broken record as again it’s another seasonal restaurant so put your trust in the menu, but make sure to leave room for deserts.
Barrafina Adelaide st – this is always my after work haunt if we do a Sunday lunch service at Spirng, I always have ham and sherry while we queue, the croquettes, the stuffed courgettes flower and the classic tortilla have to been on my order.
The Goring Hotel, this is my husbands and I favourite occasion restaurant. We go for every birthday and we have never not had spectacular service and food. The beef wellington that they carve table side another level.
 

 

8.BEST SERVICE YOU’VE EVER HAD:
The sommelier who served us when we went to Noma. We were a group of 6 and we hadn’t seen one another in a while. As happens with tasting menus you are frequently interrupted to have a dish described, The sommelier completely clocked that we wanted to catch up and didn’t need any more explanations than necessary so he put the wine on the table and simply said white wine from France. It was kind of a joke but he read our table perfectly and I will always remember that.
9. THOUGHTS ON BREXIT AND HOSPITALITY?
Initially after the first vote we felt it with recruitment. The applications just dropped of a Cliff and we really struggled. But it has really picked up again, i have unfortunately seen a bit of a drop in the number of European applications but I have seen a bit of an increase of other countries, particularly South Africa and Australia- In some kind of mad irony Brexit may have been on the world news so much it has inadvertently acted as a marketing tool advertising the UK to the world.

 

10. WHAT’S NEXT FOR SPRING?
Spring has a goal to go plastic free in 2018, we’re starting small and it it’s going to be a long journey but we’ve already eliminated plastic straws, cling film and plastic cups. Watch this space our aim is to be the first completely plastic free restaurant.