OUR PEOPLE - RESTAURANTS

Christie Cox, Events Manager, Oxo Tower

I joined the team at OXO Tower in 2002 as a receptionist in the Brasserie. I had just finished university with a degree in Psychology. To be honest I threw myself completely in the deep end with little to no experience of working in a venue that turned so many covers in one night. I fell in love with the Brasserie and the team I was working with and very quickly realised that hospitality suited me far more than my initial plan of psychologist!

After 6 months of working as receptionist I was appointed head receptionist and for the first time was managing a team of 12. It was very challenging to start with but with a large amount of support I found my feet and soon developed a team I was hugely proud of. After two years in this role the then new General Manager helped me to develop a new role in the company of Events Manager. I now am working in a job I was able to create and absolutely love it. Harvey Nichols have empowered me to discover my true passion so every day I look forward to a new challenge.

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Mark Clinton, Brasserie Manager, Second Floor, Manchester

When I started in Harvey Nichols Manchester in May 2004, I had also just moved from Ireland.  I started as a Head Waiter in the Restaurant. It wasn't just a new job, but working at Harvey Nichols also brought with it new friends and colleagues in a city I was new to! My main duties were dealing with day-to-day tasks and ensuring, as a team, we delivered these on time, and to exceed the standard our customer demands.
 
Later that year, the position of Assistant Brasserie Manager became available and I was promoted to the post. It's a completely different atmosphere, level of business and style of service to what I had been doing in the Restaurant, but nonetheless, it still represents the brand for the quality and high level of service it is associated with.  Harvey Nichols really gives you a sense of ownership over your own area, and encourages you to think this way, and I began to feel immensely proud as I started to see the effect of the changes I had implemented take place. 
 
In 2006 I was promoted to the position of Brasserie Manager. For me, it really sums up how Harvey Nichols looks after its people. If you're hungry, passionate and driven about what you do, then the company is here to support you with training programmes at every level, offering you the chance to progress. The benefits of working for HN are second to none, and the people I work around are what make my job so enjoyable.

Ross McGregor, Restaurant and Brasserie Manager, Forth Floor, Edinburgh

I joined Harvey Nichols Edinburgh in August 2002 as a Head Waiter in the Forth Floor Brasserie.  As part of the opening team I was responsible for assisting with training the front of house team and the operational set up back of house.  I was then promoted to Senior Head Waiter a year later and then to Assistant Manager in 2004.  In 2005 I was appointed as the Restaurant Manager for the new Harvey Nichols in Dublin.  The experience of opening another store as a manager was an exciting challenge I relished.  After an inspiring 18 months in Dublin I returned home to Edinburgh to take up my current position of Restaurant and Brasserie Manager.

I have been with Harvey Nichols for over 5 years and I owe my career progression and development to the thoroughly professional and experienced managers I have had the pleasure to learn from and be coached by.  I believe Harvey Nichols carries an exclusive reputation because the people they employ not only work hard, they care immensely about delivering the very best standards.  It is a company I am extremely proud to be part of.  
 

Ben Stickland, Head Waiter, Fourth Floor, Leeds

Having only joined the company in May 2005, after moving to Leeds I am still the new boy. However, I have found it really easy to settle in and make new friends and also take the reigns with ease. 

The training I received allowed me to walk in and do my job as if I had been doing it all along, and with continuous on the job training you can excel and become better than ever. 

If you are willing to put in the time and effort then you can reap the rewards and benefits of a career in Hospitality.  And with stores situated round the country and the world who knows what the future might hold?

Jonas Karlsson, Executive Chef, Fifth Floor Restaurant, Knightsbridge

I have been in my current role as Executive Chef of the Fifth Floor Restaurant at Harvey Nichols since March 2007.

In my native Sweden, I was a Trainee Chef for five years after graduating from catering college. I then came to the UK and spent several years at top London establishments that included Le Coq d'Argent and the Orrery. Wanting to build on this experience I joined Harvey Nichols, Fifth Floor Restaurant as a Junior Sous Chef in 2004.

At Harvey Nichols, I have had the opportunity to move quickly up the ranks to Sous Chef, then Senior Sous and while the Head Chef was on maternity leave I ran the Restaurant kitchen for a year as Acting Head Chef. This experience helped me to gain the Executive Chef's role when it became vacant.

In my current role, I like to add my Swedish influence to some of the dishes in the Restaurant, infusing modern European cuisine with a Nordic twist. My role involves leading 2 brigades of chefs, motivating and developing my teams and also maintaining the profile of the Fifth Floor with regular appearances in magazine articles.

In my spare time I like to visit other restaurants and foodie places in order to research the latest food trends.

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Emmanuel Schmitt, Deputy Restaurant Manager, Oxo Tower Restaurant

I started working at the Oxo Tower as a Receptionist in the Brasserie. I had worked in catering for many years but never for a large organisation. I never thought working hard could be such fun.

In 2002 I was promoted to Head Receptionist in the Restaurant and learnt to manage a team of twelve staff. I had held a managerial position in the past but not in such a busy Restaurant with high standards where on a daily basis I was presented with new challenges. I learnt a lot and was promoted to Assistant Manager, then, in 2007, I was promoted again to Deputy Restaurant Manager.

During these last two positions I have learnt to liaise with other departments within the Oxo Tower and thanks to the training and support provided by the Company, I have come to realise that team work and staff satisfaction are crucial to running a successful restaurant.

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