爆料王

Gabrielle Le Roux, a UCB聽Hospitality Business Management聽graduate, has returned to the University to set students鈥� sights on a career in food service.

After graduating with a first-class degree in 2015, Gabrielle took on a graduate scheme at independent hospitality provider BaxterStorey, eventually being recruited full-time as a Programme Developer. While it鈥檚 a route she never thought of taking as a student, she fast found her calling in the company鈥檚 learning and development department.

Having just founded the BaxterStorey Service Academy, Gabrielle is also heading up WSET Wine & Spirits training across the business, making BaxterStorey the first Food Service Provider in the UK accredited as an APP (Approved Programme Provider) to deliver this qualification internally.

Gabrielle returned to UCB to talk to students about raising aspirations and broadening horizons when it comes to life as a hospitality graduate.

鈥淭here are so many jobs out there that students simply aren鈥檛 aware of,鈥� said Gabrielle, who is based in BaxterStorey鈥檚 support offices on Gray鈥檚 Inn Road, central London.

鈥淲hen I started out as a student, I had no idea about some of the avenues I could have taken 鈥� including all of the exciting careers there are relating to food service.

Joining BaxterStorey has made me realise the potential there is for someone doing a Hospitality Business Management degree to go on to do marketing, HR, learning and development, project management and finance at all kinds of companies. My degree has equipped me perfectly to understand and manage the way big businesses work 鈥� which is lucky, as our clients are often very large franchises.鈥�

Gabrielle was also keen to encourage students to consider the graduate scheme route.

鈥淯CB trained me to be a self-starter, which is perfect when you鈥檙e on a competitive graduate scheme like BaxterStorey鈥檚 and are constantly networking and building on your own projects.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great to start with a grad scheme as it gives you access to everything and everyone 鈥� so you can take the opportunity to see the kind of work you prefer.鈥�

鈥淭here is an incredible amount of opportunities available to hospitality graduates,鈥� added Rob Swinnock, Assistant Dean of the College of Food and Gabrielle鈥檚 former lecturer.

鈥淲hat Gabrielle has shown is that this qualification is appealing to a range of employers 鈥� it all depends on the opportunities you take. It鈥檚 great to have her back to advise the next generation of top hospitality staff here at UCB.鈥澛�