From peeling carrots in the kitchen to running Aberdeen’s four-star Norwood Hall, Katrina Wardrop has been a fast climber on the hotel job ladder.
Now she’s on a mission to get young people in the north-east charged up about the hospitality sector and the exciting career paths it has to offer.
The 37-year-old took over the top job as general manager at Macdonald Norwood Hall Hotel earlier this year.
Katrina’s career in hospitality started by working in hotel kitchens with her dad who was a head chef.
As a schoolgirl she would cover shifts peeling vegetables.
When she finished sixth year she took up a full-time job in a hotel kitchen and worked her way up the ranks.
Hungry to do better
Always hungry to do better, she levelled up from pastry chef to executive chef, moving into operations and then general manager.
“I love making chocolates and desserts, but I had lost enthusiasm for some of the other elements of cooking,” she said.
“But I really enjoyed the management side, managing costs, working out the lead times on prep, managing the team and bringing people with me.”
When she saw another executive chef in the Macdonald Hotels group make the shift to general management, she had a “jokey conversation” with her boss about doing the same.
Instead of dismissing her GM ambitions, Katrina was told to come up with a plan of action to make it happen.
She said: “Making the decision to step out of the kitchen and move front of house was hard at first, but it has opened so many opportunities, taught me new skills, and allowed me to stay in an industry and company that I love while having a second career.
“It’s still unusual to see a chef follow this path, especially within a large organisation.
“My experience means I understand all aspects of the business and can help bridge the gap between the kitchen and other departments.”
Genuine career path
Katrina says working in hospitality brings her real joy. And she wants to challenge young people who overlook the industry to think about it as a serious career.
In her old role as operations manager at sister venue, the Drumossie Hotel in Inverness, Katrina held weekly workshops to help develop skills.
She also encouraged staff to experiment and introduced a modern apprenticeship scheme to retain and nurture talented young people.
This is something she hopes to continue at Norwood Hall.
“Everyone can teach you something, you never know it all and you are not better than anyone else.
“Whether someone teaches you a better way to mop the floor, make a souffle or format an Excel spreadsheet, everyone has something they can show you.
“It’s really important never to forget that because once you think you’re better you stop learning.
“Hospitality is a fantastic career path and one that has provided me with so many opportunities, which is why I feel so strongly about supporting young people to get a foothold in the industry.”
Conversation