Sarah Kendall is the Lakeside Hotel’s Training Manager, which means that she looks after all the training both at Lakeside and Trinity House, working closely with respective manager Lorna Webster.

“I split my time between the two hotels and it’s my responsibility to oversee the newcomers during their six-day training opportunity, which they are offered after an interview,” says a 28-year-old from Tyneside who has spent 18 years living and working in Cumbria, the last five on the shores of Lake Windermere.

But training is not something new to the former Ms. Metcalfe – she was married in November ‘03 – who for a year was the Lakeside’s Food Service Manager, and as part of those duties was to be found two days a week at Trinity House putting nervous youngsters through their first paces as they sought jobs in the kitchens or as front-of- house assistants.

Sarah then worked alongside Lorna Webster, who is now Manager at The Lakeside after being in overall charge of co-ordination between the four-star establishment and the Training Academy. And with Helen Waring moving from her post as Lakeside Manager to Trinity in the same capacity, what is abundantly clear is that there is a  huge depth of  knowledge and experience available to all those passing through the Academy.

With Victoria Austin recently appointed as Food and Beverage Trainer and working, like Sarah, at both Trinity House and Lakeside, would-be new starters could hardly be in more capable hands.

 “Some of those we interview are really scared, very shy and nervous, but we do our best to calm them down and see what aptitude they have for doing the job they say they prefer,” says Sarah, whose first taste of the hotel and catering industry was as a 14-year-old part-time silver service waitress in Barrow.

With an HND in Hotel and Catering Management – majoring in culinary arts – behind her, Sarah gave up the kitchen for front-of-house work and says of her current role as Training Manager: “I love it because it can be so rewarding to meet such a wide variety of applicants seeking front-of-house work, some of whom are so lacking in confidence you do wonder how they found the courage to turn up for the interview.

 “Front-of-house basically means restaurant work, being a waitress or waiter, or food and beverage assistants to give them their proper title. If we are happy with their interview they do six days at Trinity, spread over two weekends – Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

“You know really after the first day how they will shape up and some – not many – take to it like a duck to water and can make the switch to The Lakeside relatively comfortably, bearing in mind that there’s always somebody to talk to and sort of hold their hand. 

But for every A level or university student who only need pointing in the right direction so that they can earn money doing bar work or waitressing and have every intention of pursuing a more academic career, we get people who really struggle initially and it’s seeing them blossom and grow in confidence over the two weekends that gives us, the training staff, so much pleasure and satisfaction

“Victoria passed her ‘Bushtucker Trial’ with flying colours. We - our General Manager/Director Clive Wilson and myself - asked her to come to Trinity and show us how to silver serve as we call it. She had preparation time and whilst we would never claim that the training session went fantastically well, her passion and enthusiasm just shone through.

“We knew she had a lot to learn but we were certain that her personality and desire to do things the right way were just what we were looking for and had no hesitation in giving her the job. Her joyous reaction to that news told us all we wanted to know and she has settled in really well.

“Our front-of-house trainees, just like the budding chefs, are made aware from day one that we demand high standards.  We work hard to ensure that they get it right.

Many of them have never held a tray full of glasses before and nine times out of ten their hands are trembling on the first day.  They don’t know such things as serving a diner from the left and clearing from the right – basic rules which are standard practice at The Lakeside.

“What do we look for?  Personality is very important – introverted people find it more difficult dealing with guests – and a good waiter or waitress needs the confidence to be able to converse. And they need commonsense and enthusiasm.  We like to think we can spot a good front-of-house person within a couple of days.  We explain everything as we go along – why we have white wine, water and red wine glasses on the table, why we place three sets of cutlery for a meal and why we are so precise about laying the tablecloths so that the whole restaurant looks uniform and aesthetically pleasing.

“As I say, our standards are high and we stick to those standards because it’s the only way to get consistency.  For example, the boys must come to work clean shaven and the girls must have clean hair.  Some get fed up, of course, and don’t come back after the first few days – if they last that long! – but the keen ones, the ones we want to keep, accept that there have to be rules and that they must respect authority.