Over 300 waiters gathered in London’s Hyde Park on Thursday 21st May to celebrate National Waiters Day.
Inspired by Fred Sirieix, General Manager at Galvin at Windows, National Waiters Day aims to not only celebrate hard working waiters, food and beverage staff, pub and bar workers and baristas, but also to showcase a career in front of house as one that offers good skills, leading to a rewarding career with good progression routes and amazing rewards.
The National Waiters Day campaign led by The Springboard Charity, now in its 25th year, aims to unlock the truth about the great career opportunities available in the hospitality industry and change the perceptions associated with a career in front of house.
300 racing waiters!
Over 300 waiters raced over the course, complete with trays, glasses and bottles of water with the aim of being crowned the ‘Fastest Waiter’ or ‘Fastest Waitress’.
The National Waiters Day initiative is supported and co-ordinated by The Springboard Charity alongside key sponsors: Bunzl Catering Supplies, GOJO and ISS. The funds raised from the initiative go towards enabling Springboard to develop and run an exciting programme for schools to encourage young people to consider a career in front of house.
Fred Sirieix commented: “The idea behind National Waiters Day is to bring a spotlight to the hospitality industry and showcase what a great range of exciting careers the industry has to offer, whilst having a lot of fun in the process”.
Those who attended the event also enjoyed a range of have-a-go activities to demonstrate ‘front of house’ skills and careers, showcased by key sponsors and partners, including Bunzl Catering Supplies, GOJO and ISS.
The winners
- Fastest Waiter- Edgar Qudrhasous, Hilton London Metropole
- Fastest Waitress- Hattie Clark, Aqua Restaurant group (pictured above)
- Fastest Male Student – George Hiley-Jones, Edge School
- Fastest Female Student – Zongjue Pan, Swiss Hotel Management School
- Fastest Team- Prezzo
- Best Dressed- Fabio Ricca The Berkeley
For more information on how to get involved with National Waiters Day 2016 click here
Follow us on Twitter #NWD