Natalya Erlam

When catering for work events and local sports evenings I arrived before guests to neatly set tables and set plates for starters and or sharing platters. I would then hospitably welcome guests and escort them to their tables before returning to the kitchen to serve food.

I served meals and drinks to guests efficiently and made sure to be attentive with my tables, checking in regularly to ensure food met expectations and I could refill drinks when required. I cleared tables and stacked plates in the kitchen to minimise the amount of workspace taken up as other dishes were being prepared and then washed and restocked alcohol glasses in the bar, maintaining high standards of hygiene.

Working as part of a small team of staff, my job is to greet guests with a friendly, welcoming attitude, provide them with menus and show them to their table. I take great pride in creating a positive, warm atmosphere for guests whilst taking orders which I deliver to the kitchen, before I then make and serve guests’ drinks - ranging from coffees to soft drinks.

Working at Waugh Brow Farm I also clean and set tables before guests arrive, stock the drinks station, clean used crockery, run food from the kitchen to the tables when it is ready, handle payments in cash and card using the till and have taught newer members of staff also. With such a small team, the job has taught me great communication and team work skills in terms of managing large numbers of tables per person but also enabling me to help my colleagues when necessary and ask for assistance from them when I need it too. This has allowed us to maintain smooth front of house operations and minimised potential service delays, in order to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.