Michel Roux’s Service scholarship winner James Marvin, 24, has recently completed week long stages at some of the UK’s most respected establishments; the Dorchester hotel on London’s Park Lane; the Roux’s Waterside Inn in Bray and Le Gavroche also in the capital.
I’ve found it quite the eye opener. The Dorchester has a great sense of tradition and place. It’s about indulgence and giving customers exactly what they want. Despite this, there’s a real focus on the staff with a huge canteen featuring free coffee and pool tables. I worked across departments, including in the bar where they have the largest selection of cognac whiskey in London, as well as in the three Michelin starred Alain Ducasse. The restaurant is a lot less covers than I’m used to with huge attention to detail, very French, very precise.
Having experienced Ducasse, my time at the Waterside Inn was very interesting. It also has three Michelin stars but the restaurant-with-rooms approaches service in a different way. It describes its style as English country, and the approach is one of welcoming guests into your home. Going to Le Gavroche provided yet another contrast. The service there is excellent of course, but I got the impression that the focus was very much on the food.
It’s shown me that even at top end of hospitality there are different ways to achieve excellence. Having returned from the stages its been remarked on that I’ve become more precise in what I do. Certainly my experiences have taught me how to do things well with class.
I’ve had lots of great advice during my journey but some from Rémy Lysé, managing director of REX Restaurant Associates the owner of the Wolseley, has stuck with me. He’s said if I’m serious about running my own business or advancing past a certain point on the career ladder, I must make sure I get as broad a range of experiences and training as possible now. My experiences to date have demonstrated the value of management experience and technical skills, such as stock taking. Having a good underpinning of how hospitality businesses work and make money is to my mind hugely advantageous and something I plan to explore with my employer Hilton.
