Kitchen lead Review

I am cross trained FOH and BOH lead. It involves stock control, team leading and motivating, organisation of work on daily basis, developing, assisting and training team members and ensuring everyting is made to the top standard and according to high health and safety levels. Communication between FOH and BOH teams and managers to ensure things run smoothly.

During my training I have learned some new leadership skills. I would rather say I have improved the ones I had more, as I am in hospitality industry for over 17 years, so I have a lot of knowledge and experience. My coach was absolutely brilliant and kept me challenged despite understanding my level of experience.

It was learnimg for fun. My biggest motivation always was learning more skills and improving current. I knew that this apprenticeship won't give me anything in the future, especially in todays hospitality market. But it was fun to have a chat with equally experienced people and meeting my assessor who was a bank of hospitality knowledge

Program is organised quite well. I was just disappointed that I haven't got level 4 program and got just level 3. So to me, it was more like the need to go through what I already know just to get this qualification. I am sire I would have enjoyed level 4 more.

Well, Mitchell's and Butlers were paying for my apprenticeship, so I have received support from them. I received very little assistance from my RBM, GM or AMs. I can, however, understand it. I work in a very busy place and they just don't have time, and I did not really needed it.

Anytime I needed anything, she was always available. She was flexible to my schedule and it was very easy to communicate with her. You can clearly see where is a person with experience in the industry and not just a person put in the head office who knows nothing about the actual work.

It help to perform better as it gives you feeling that you actually know your job, not just think you do. It's maybe still usefull in higher end hospitality locations as stepping stone to level 4. Does it has any benefit while working for M&B? I really can't see how.

There should be, but no, there aren't. We are way too busy and there is no way to cover shifts. And because of inability to find skilled labour due to lack of reward for working, I really cannot see how it will change. More quiet locations within the company has it as much as I saw.

No

I work for M&B 12 years already, I think it's a love and punishment. I know that I could get much better conditions anywhere else... But still here. At least my brand doesn't value people skills, dedication and what they bring to the company. It's everything about politics. All the issues not being delt with and people getting promotions just because they are friends, not skills. Management almost never there, hiding in offices and has absolutely no leadership skills. 7 years ago was very different, there were many strong people, I have managed to help to train few great guys from no experience in this industry, to management of the bars. Now most of the highly skilled people left just because company invests in training, but doesn't invest in keeping trained people.

If you want to actually learn and be proud of the work you do, get rewarded for it, don't join Mitchell's and Butlers. If you just want to progress and not learn anything, make friends and make your career through friendship, it's a great place. You won't be rewarded for your skills and abilities. Like one my colleague told me 12 years ago, when I started at M&B, don't show them that you can do more, because you will only do more and not be rewarded for it.