A supervisor at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh was named this year’s Gold Service Scholarship Scholar on Monday night, the leading accolade for young front of house staff in hospitality.
Scott Crowe joined the famed Scottish hotel five years ago, and has since worked his way up from chef de rang, a term used for senior waiters in high-end hotels.
Crowe was among eight finalists as part of the competition, one that began with tasks and interviews and culminated in a final last month. Participants were asked to prepare for and serve a three-course lunch, including canapés, Champagne and wines – to a table of four at the Corinthia London.
At an awards ceremony held at Claridge’s, Crowe, originally from Australia, was presented with his title in front of 250 guests from across the hospitality sector.
He said: “I can’t believe it. You prepare yourself for every eventuality but I’m still a bit numb. I’ve worked very hard for this and I can’t wait to make the most of my time with the mentors, as well as enjoying some incredible learning opportunities.”
The award means Crowe will be able to take up educational trips, work placements, and other opportunities around the world, including a course at Switzerland’s famous hospitality school in Lausanne.
Others highly commended at the ceremony were Simona Federová, chef de rang at The Ritz London, and Etienne Harding, assistant restaurant manager at The Goring Hotel. Both will also be afforded development opportunities.
The scholarship’s chair of judges, Edward Griffiths, said: “This has been yet another incredible year. Not only did we see a record-breaking number of entrants but the fact that we have two highly-commended candidates just tells you how high the standards were.”
And Alastair Storey, chair of the Gold Service Scholarship, said: “Ever since we launched the Scholarship 12 years ago, we had a clear vision; we wanted to encourage more people into the sector and celebrate and recognise those already doing an exceptional job of maintaining the service standards that make our industry one of the best in the world.
“We also wanted to create a group of ambassadors who can continue to inspire future generations. We’re delighted with the appetite and passion that so many of our candidates demonstrated this year and can’t wait to see how their careers develop and evolve over the coming years.”
