Name: Tamas Mehes
Job Title: Lounge, Bar & Terrace Manager at Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club
Tamas has spent most of his working life in hospitality and clearly enjoys what he does. After graduating from university in Hungary, Tamas’ first job was as a waiter (but he often covered housekeeping, concierge and bar) at a hotel in Scotland. Although he enjoyed his time there very much, after more than a year, he started to yearn for warmer weather and a move to the south. He recalls, “It started snowing on the day I resigned and that was in July!”
Through his research, Tamas decided that Ashdown Park was the perfect place for him and after a successful Skype interview began working as a Commis Barman in August 2015. Having little experience in bar work, Tamas took this as an opportunity to learn and develop, so invested a great deal of time and effort in his self-education as well as taking training opportunities whenever he could.
In January 2016, a Head Barman position became available and Tamas was given the role. This allowed for further development; designing his own cocktail menu and revamping the drinks offering. After his hard work and dedication, it was an incredibly rewarding experience when in January 2017, he received the employee of the year award. Perhaps unsurprisingly, when an opportunity for Lounge and Bar manager arose in late 2017, there was little hesitation in offering the opportunity to such a loyal and hard-working employee.
Tamas sees a range of positives in working for Ashdown Park Hotel & the Elite Group as a whole. He enjoys working with a variety of people from different backgrounds and still pinches himself at the amazing “office” views he has working in the Lounge.
What advice would Tamas give to someone looking for a career in hospitality?
“It is hard, in the beginning, but hard work, dedication and a willingness to invest in your own development pays off in the end.”
Tamas has undertaken a range of training including: WSET (Wine and Spirits education) Level 2; food safety; savvy conversations; Management Excellence & Leadership as well as currently doing a Level 3 Hospitality Management Course with the Elite Supervisory Academy. He is also a trained First Aider and Springboard Ambassador! Tamas considers his quick career progression as a mixture of luck and dedication and is truly grateful for the opportunities he has been presented with at Ashdown Park.
So what has been his biggest achievement?
Without a shadow of a doubt and through a massive smile; “Getting employee of the year has been my biggest achievement so far. It made me feel so appreciated and that all of the hard work and effort had been noticed.”
So when asked for 3 words to describe working for Elite: Proud, Valued, Family
For further information on the career opportunities offered at Elite, Please check our latest vacancies: www.careersatelitehotels.co.uk