The grandson of Scottish entrepreneurs, who first learned the art of warm Scottish hospitality through the family business, is up for a top hospitality award.
Gleneagles receptionist Cameron Baxter (20) – whose grandmother Ena Baxter was the original face behind the gourmet soup company Baxters – is the sole Scot and only individual from outside London to be named as a finalist in the AICR (Association of Front Office Managers) UK Receptionist of the Year competition.
Having seen off competition from some of the best receptionists based across the UK, Cameron, who has worked within the Gleneagles reception team since January 2016, will be one of seven talented finalists to vie for the title at The Berkley Hotel in London on 12 December.
The Elgin-raised receptionist first got ‘the hospitality bug’ while working at the Baxters retail outlet in Fochabers, but it was joining the iconic Perthshire hotel in 2014, as part of The Scottish Apprenticeship in Hospitality scheme, that gave him the opportunity to flourish as a hospitality professional.
Since arriving at Gleneagles as a school-leaver, Cameron has successfully completed placements across every area of the hotel, including stints as a housekeeper, a waiter, a chef and a receptionist, giving him a superb all-round experience of hotel operations.
“I got my first job at the Baxters retail outlet stacking shelves when I was 12, and then after a couple of years I got promoted to the restaurant,” said Cameron.
“It was at this point, when I looked forward to interacting with restaurant guests every day, that I had a lightbulb moment and realised I was born to work in hospitality.
“From my grandparents, I learned the most fortunate people in life are the ones who find a job they really love; where it’s a pleasure to work hard.
“For me, working in hospitality isn’t really ‘a job’ in the traditional sense; there’s the administrative side that you need to do, but interacting with guests – talking to them, listening to them and helping to make their experience special – is something I’d happily do for free. Sometimes guests just want to be heard and I will always be that person who wants to listen.
“I’m very fortunate to know, aged 20, what I want to do already, and the career opportunities in the hospitality industry and here at Gleneagles are fantastic. I have friends at university doing four year degrees who aren’t sure what they want to do after graduating, whereas I’ve known since childhood that working in hospitality was the only path for me.
“It’s an honour to make it to this stage of the competition. The Gleneagles team is like a big family; we all support each other and I’m continually learning from my colleagues – so reaching the final is as much about the team as it is about me.”
“Facilitating five-star hospitality demands a broad skillset, a dedicated approach to work and high levels of professionalism – and Cameron has impressed the whole team and proven he has all these attributes in great abundance,” said Paul Heery, Gleneagles’ General Manager.
He added: “We’re immensely proud to see his efforts and talents have been recognised in this prestigious competition and wish him all the best in the final.”
Cameron is following in the footsteps of Gleneagles receptionists Harriet Henderson and Johanna Dluglosch, who were crowned the winners of the AICR UK Receptionist of the Year title in 2015 and 2013 respectively.