Working at Glenmore Lodge: Q&A with Chef Simon Newman
How long have you been working at Glenmore Lodge and why did you decide to work here?
I have been working at Glenmore Lodge for nearly 11 months now as the breakfast chef. I relocated here for the job; it’s not just the local area that appealed to me but Glenmore lodge itself, as I really enjoy the outdoors, whether its mountaineering, climbing, skiing or kayaking. Working here I get a lot of supportive guidance from the experienced and friendly instructional team, plus I’ve had the opportunity to get on many courses in my time so far here at the lodge. Everyone encourages you to get out and do stuff, and that’s not just the instructors but office staff and my colleagues on the catering and house department as well!
I have been working as a chef for many years and Glenmore Lodge is by far is the greatest place I have worked, you really do the hours stated in your contract I am normally finished for lunchtime and get the rest of day to myself to get out alongside my days off, unlike other places I have worked where 36 hours is more like 50+.
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Can you tell us a bit about the job?
Work life in the kitchen is great; the team is friendly and there’s plenty of help when needed. You get plenty of freedom to try new recipes and improve on your skills. It’s hard to say how great of a job it is but it’s made amazing by all the small things, the stuff that gets you down in other kitchen jobs is just not here.
You don’t do unpaid overtime, just work the hours you’re contracted to do, and get lots of support not just in your job but on all things Lodge related like getting on courses. Don’t want to give too much away, if the big bosses know how brilliant the job is they might change things!!
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What makes working at Glenmore Lodge different to other places you’ve worked?
They say that workplaces can be like families, which is true; at other places staff fall out and have arguments, but here at the lodge everyone, and I mean everyone, is so friendly and helpful (it’s almost scary ha ha!).
There are a lot of great perks to working here: great pension, fantastic holidays, and guaranteed Christmas off which as a chef isn’t really heard of!
But there are many more perks that are not in the job description. You get amazing discounts on outdoor gear, from just a pair of socks up to the best of the best ski touring boots and skis. Stores has loads of fantastic top of the range equipment you can borrow and try out. There are opportunities to get on some great courses; I have been on navigation courses, kayaking and climbing courses, and you can also sign up to be a mock student in qualification assessments and get free training.
So, in my opinion this is an amazing place to come work, whether you have loads of experience or are totally new to the outdoors and want to learn or would prefer to enjoy the beautiful scenery! Either way you get to work in a very happy and friendly environment and be part of a brilliant team.
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