Sol y Sombra
Location: 27 Gray St, Broughty Ferry, Dundee DD5 2BH. Scotland, UK
Type of Hospitality: Restaurant
Job Position: Waitress
Date: January – March 2022
Details: Working in Sol y Sombra included a set of responsibilities such as food and beverage prepping, introducing the set menu in Spanish and English to the customers, preparing for the open and close of the restaurant, making sure all allergies are correctly prepared, making sure everybody has their rota of the day as well as sticking to the organised system that notifies all staff including chefs about the status of the tables and food. Furthermore, I was moved/transferred to a different work place called The Anchor Bar as it was a part of the family’s business.
The Anchor Bar
Location: 48 Gray St, Broughty Ferry, Dundee DD5 2BJ. Scotland, UK
Type of Hospitality: Pub – Food and Beverage
Job Position: Waitress, Barista and Bartender
Date: March 2022 – December 2022
Details: In The Anchor I learnt many new skills as I had never been an official bartender before such as how to change the kegs, how to measure alcohol accordingly to the law (25ml in Scotland), how to serve wine, Prosecco etc. and how to make classic cocktails, how to draft stouts, ales, laggers and ciders. Outside of bartending the format of food service was very different to Sol y Sombra as it was pub food and the customer base was more families. Due to having experience with kids I always knew what to supply for a family based table such as hot water for newborns for their dummy’s & bottles as well as crayons and other entertainment for young children. Being able to accommodate to different customer’s expectations was another skill I learnt as you need to be able to read when a customer for example wants to socially engage or not or another example is if it’s a group of old ladies whether they’re expecting a more tea based lunch than a heavy dinner. The small details are everything so being able to read what a customer expects/needs is important for an enjoyable experience. An example of such details are if you notice that they have finished the ketchup then bring them more before they’re having to interrupt their meal to grab your attention to receive some. Unfortunately I had to leave the job as I was needing more time for my family due to a family situation/emergency.
Art Bar
Location: 140 Perth Rd, Dundee DD1 4JW. Scotland, UK
Type of Hospitality: Bar
Job Position: Bartender
Date: September 2023 – Current day
Details: I started working in the Art Bar as it was a bar me and my friends went to that was nearby my flat. Therefore, I already knew the format of the bar in terms of customer base which was what caught my attention to work there. Working here I learnt additional skills such as how to change the gas, cleaning toilets, counting the cash register, and how to manage bad situations as we didn’t have a bouncer. Due to not having a bouncer it is vital for our safety to be able to read when somebody/something is going to escalate. Luckily due to the customer basis being quite friendly this is a rare occurrence and the art bar has a reputation for being a safe environment. We also need to be aware for people sneaking drink in or out of the building as this is a legal offence in Dundee. We don’t have set positions such as supervisors as we are all equals a part from who is to be opening or closing due to having the keys. Therefore, we all work as a team to manage the bar and make sure everything is going as planned. This includes checking the outside patio, bathrooms and customers. Apart from the regular staff we do have a manager and the owner who organise the rota, health inspections etc. Furthermore, when there’s new staff that have little experience in bartending we are to teach them the skills we know such as drafting drinks, learning the menu, changing kegs, clean up etc.
Temple Lane Dundee
Location: 1 Temple Ln, Dundee DD1 4HA. Scotland, UK
Type of Hospitality: Cocktail Bar
Job Position: Mixologist
Date: October 2023 – Current day
Details: While working in the Art Bar I was recruited by a previous staff member to work at Temple Lane as I had cocktail experience. I only knew the basics before working here so over time I’ve came to learn a lot such as the tools and their names, most of the classics, some history on the cocktails and some of the types of alcohol itself, garnishing, pre batching, making syrups and other food/beverage based elements for set cocktails and more.
Overall skills
- Spanish fluently and native in English
- Cocktails
- Change Kegs
- Teamwork
- Multi-tasking
- Time Management
- Communication
- Interpersonal skills
- Hazard awareness
- Problem solving
- Patience
- Coffee making
- Responsible alcohol service
- Money handling
- Training staff
- Customer service
- Working with high volume customers (300+)
- Prepared, packed, labelled and stocked food/beverages
- Maintain cleanliness
- Catered for events such as weddings, baby showers and birthdays.
- Nightlife peak busy service hours
- End of shift reports
- Monitor inventory to ensure adequate stock is maintained
- Resolve customer complaints promptly while sticking to the company’s guidelines
- Drink presentation and garnishing
- POS systems
- Batching juices, syrups, infusions, tinctures, and garnishes, as often as necessary.