Dylan Murray takes us through his personal experiences whilst being in the Culinary Industry. These key skills that young Chefs and industry professionals learn as part of their basic training.
How long have you been in this role?
I started with Drake & Morgan fairly recently in January of this year and came from the same role at Soho House.
Since opening your first establishment in 2008 have you noticed a difference in the number of applicants – how easy has it been to find your staff?
I've seen a huge amount of interest from people wanting to work for Drake & Morgan in the four months I've been in this role. Finding the right staff is always a challenge as the market is very competitive and same demand for good staff amongst our competitors makes retention the key.
What are you looking out for on a CV or in an interview?
Personality and character, two often-overlooked elements in so many people working in the service industry. Being a natural people person and then, of course, the relevant experience, too. I have a general rule of not reading a CV before I meet someone for the first time as first impressions for me are so, so important.
If someone wanted to move between the Drake and Morgan group are they able to do so?
Absolutely! We encourage this in order to grow and develop our staff. It is a big advantage to have this facility and it certainly helps in keeping staff happy and engaged.
Could you explain your development programmes including the ‘Gift of Service’ a bit further – do you think this makes you stand out compared to others like yourselves?
Our development program is simply called “Love to Learn”: it is bespoke to D&M and focuses on the general basics of good service. We have re- defined our steps-of-service and looked at how we can ensure our service delivery is consistent. This program was piloted at the opening of our eighth site, The Refinery at Regent's Place, with great success and is now being rolled out site by site across our portfolio.
Do you think this is important to do so, this way can people get promoted?
We generally believe in promotion from within. Our internal succession planning is so important and giving existing staff the opportunity to grow within the D&M family is invaluable.
If someone doesn’t have a lot of experience when applying for a role but shows a lot of enthusiasm do you take them on and then train them?
Absolutely! Enthusiasm and appetite for the industry are key. Some of the best staff in the industry are people who simply wanted to join and learn the ropes.
What is your training process?
We have an improved induction on day one for all our new starters. They are then inducted into their “home” site by the site Training Champion who discusses their two-week training program. They are assigned a mentor who is responsible for assisting them during their first few weeks. This process is all part of the wider “Love to Learn” program.
What are your ultimate top 5 tips for someone looking to get into the hospitality industry?
Be a great 'people person', have passion for food and drink together with an appetite for customer service, be ready to work hard and best of all be able to simply have fun!
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.
