Meet Kate!

Feb 04, 2022

Tell us a bit about yourself – how did you get into hospitality?
Hello! My name is Kate, and I am a recent graduate student of Sustainable Systems Engineering, woo, and mum to the most crazy but beautiful little 3-year-old staffy named Cooper! Growing up in the tourist town of Port Campbell, it was a given that as soon as I hit the age of 14 and 9 months, that I would be joining the hospitality industry. So, when that day came, I joined the 12 Rocks team with my cousin as the manager and my two sisters also working there and learnt the ropes very quickly. With 300+ covers a night with some tables experiencing 6 flips, I was thrown in the deep end, and learnt to love the rush. 
When the time came to move up to the big smoke for university, it was an obvious decision to source another hospitality job, and provide Melbourne with my country charm, and I haven’t looked back in that 8 and half years.  

How did you find yourself in this role?
Just like many people these days, I responded to an ad on MBE. Garden State was my first ever legal pub, so it felt fitting to join the team. Every time I visited, the team were always smiling and having fun with each other, which is the dream, and has been ever since!

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Either working as a fat controller (rail signalling engineering) with V/Line, or stepping up my hospitality game, as living it up as a Yachtie with partner over in the Mediterranean as stews and deckhands!

What’s your favourite function you’ve ever worked? 
As a recent fan of The Block, I was absolutely blessed with the opportunity to work the 2021 Lip Sync Challenge at the Espy. Getting to assist the production team with the logistics, organisation, and just all ‘back of production things’, was such a great learning experiencing. However, it didn’t feel like work, as I got to partake in all the fun, and enjoy the show. 

What do you love most about working for the group?
There is a lot to love about Sand Hill Road. Where else do you find a COO of a company working the kitchen pass on a Friday, your Operations and Food and Beverage managers working as bussies/hosts when times get busy, and the owners of the company learning almost everyone’s name and being able to strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone. This stems down to every aspect of Sand Hill Road. The culture within SHR is so welcoming and fun, that there are days, particularly at the fantastic trainings they’re always put on, that it doesn’t feel like work. Not to mention the Sandy program that we have, where anyone within the company that lives up to the four values of the company (Live, Laugh, Love Life & Learn) gets a cheeky nomination from a fellow staff member! It’s like receiving little warm + fuzzies at the end of each quarter, with four people taking out what the boys considered the best, and we get rewarded for it with experiences, vouchers and/or culinary experiences, so what is not to love about SHR!

What do you love most about working in your current venue? 
While the Sandys and the trainings are an incredible aspect of the venue, it’s the staff that makes GSH what it is. I pitched this question to my fellow staff, and the responses were all mutual. We are a family like no other, and those bonds continue once we close and lock up the front door. We are a team that’s passionate and love what we do, and we are all about lifting up each other. We recognise each other’s strengths, and always willing to upskill one another when one asks. Management will always have our back, and is always have a laugh with us, so we are living the dream with them too. I would like to end it with a comment from a fellow staff member that truly wraps up how incredible this work culture is within Garden State:
“We are a solidified and supportive team. Our mentality working on those Fri/Sat late shifts is like "well, it's kind of cooked right now but at least we are going through it together!"“20 espresso martinis?” You'd kind of laugh then team up with someone and be like “alright we got this, let's do it". We love hyping each other up on the smallest stuff, love being offered a glass of water and a support hug in the middle of service when it's 3 deep. 
Whether it be a Monday morning or a Saturday night, you’ll see this from the team. 

What do you love most about your current role?
My role is all about ensuring the customers are having a good time, and if they’re not, it’s my job to fix that. It brings me so much joy seeing my guests having a great time, and if they’re having fun and smiling, I am having fun and smiling.

What do you love about hospitality?
Making memories for others. I know I shouldn’t have favourites, however if I sense someone is from the country, I will go introduce myself and go above and beyond for them, giving them the old country charm. Giving those guests, who don’t usually get to experience this, a great time and seeing them warm up and feel comfortable, is why I love hospitality. I have numerous guests who come from the country, who consider Garden State now as their regular in Melbourne, and it’s such a joy to catch up with them every couple of months. 

What do you think will be the biggest game changer in hospitality over the next 5 years?
Non-alcoholic drinks. While they have always been there, the past two years we have started to see almost all forms of alcohol starting to dip into the trend and make these drinks more enjoyable. With Seedlip and the zero beers, leading the pack, I really look forward to seeing what else we can deliver. Hospitality can be quite jarring with the alcohol, so it’s going to be exciting to be more inclusive to those who choose not to drink. 

How can hospitality be made better? 
I think my answer above of inclusivity can be applied here too. Hospitality should be enjoyed by all, without barriers, and the day we can experience that, is the day that hospitality will be at its best. It’s as simple as making a venue more wheelchair accessible, a venue having appropriate options for people with ASD, to even drink menus having extensive non-alcoholic options. 

 

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