Trading secrets

It feels great to be noticed for doing a good job, and I feel lucky that my work as caterer at the British Embassy in the Philippines was appreciated and led to me taking part in the BOND scheme.

Under the scheme, I've been working as food and beverages services supervisor at the Churchill Inter-Continental for five months now. I get up at around 5.30am every day. I'll take a shower and then listen to music while I do my make-up and get dressed.

When I was catering for banquets in the Philippines, I'd be in high heels and skirts for wining and dining people from the British and US embassies but, with the amount of running around I do now, it's strictly trousers and flats.

I live in a bed-sit only five minutes' walk from the hotel, which is really handy. But I miss not having my own kitchen because I absolutely love cooking. I think that's what made me enter the catering business in the first place.

I'll eat my breakfast with the staff at the hotel. It's important to be friendly to everyone - the waitresses and cleaners are just as important to me as the head chefs and managers. I'll generally just eat a boiled egg on toast, but we can have anything we want from the buffet. It's one of the perks of the job that we can eat such delicious food all the time.

Work starts at 7.30am but I often start earlier. If something needs doing, I don't put it off - I get on and do it. I'm always rushing around, especially if I'm organising a theme evening, as I'll have to sort out everything from buying the cutlery and decorations to booking musicians.

Lunch is at 12.30pm or 1.30pm depending on whether I eat before or after service in the restaurant. I've tried traditional English food but I'm not a fan. I don't think it's very tasty or creative - I like spicy food best.

I supervise the smooth running of the Churchill bar and both the restaurants. Clementine's seats 100-150 and the Terrace Lounge seats 70-80. I work closely with a management team of around nine people, but I'm always interested in what all the staff are doing and help out whenever I can.

I'll leave work usually about 6.30pm and go to the gym to de-stress and shed some pounds. I work out every day and spend about one hour doing aerobic exercises before sitting and reading the papers, then finally treating myself to a sauna or Jacuzzi.

I eventually come home at about 10.00pm. I'll already have had a big lunch and won't want dinner, but if I'm feeling hungry I'll have some cereal. By 10.30pm I'm exhausted, and more than ready to fall into bed and rest my aching feet. n

Interview by Lara Hutcheson