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Do you have a potential Acorn in your team?
Who’s that person who is doing things differently? Who is hungry to learn more? And who is quietly changing the way everyone works for the better? It’s time to bring them into the limelight with an Acorn nomination
The hospitality industry is rich with opportunities for ambitious young people. And while traditional careers such as chef, GM or maitre d’, will always be in demand, the sector is continually diversifying, resulting in many different roles to support and shape the future of hospitality.
In the past five years, a barista, a mixologist, a social media manager and a sustainability manager have been added to the list of The Caterer’s Acorn 30 under 30 alumni, demonstrating that different roles are becoming more prominent and are attracting younger people into the industry.
Of the 1,140 Acorn Award winners over the past 39 years, 12 have been handed to those in housekeeping roles, and six have been given to those working in the spa and wellness space, an increasing focus for hotels.
Regardless of the job title, and whether it is deemed mainstream or not, all roles that contribute to the smooth running of a business should be recognised and rewarded.
Which is why we are asking you to think about whether you have a potential Acorn in your team – someone who may be thriving in less obvious parts of your business – who you could nominate for a 2025 Acorn Award.
We speak to four previous Acorn winners and asked them what they did to stand out from the crowd.
Charlie Needler, coffee coach, Gather & Gather
2024 Acorn winner
Charlie Needler began his career as a general assistant at Gather & Gather in 2016. In 2018, he started working with coffee and soon after, took courses with coffee trade body the Speciality Coffee Association. When the pandemic hit and many coffee shops were still allowed to trade, Needler says his passion for coffee – and training – resulted in him being promoted to head barista at Gather & Gather, his then role when he won his Acorn.
What skills and behaviours did you display to be nominated and win?
It was the managing director who nominated me. I wasn’t satisfied with just serving the day-to-day customers. I was staying behind after work, training and learning more, so that when it came to my day-to-day role, it made a massive effect on the team and clients. I was pushing myself to go on sales presentations. It was never expected of me, but I asked, “Can I be involved in it, to understand what goes on?”
“We forget how wide the hospitality market is. You can work in a bar, or you can serve fried chicken [but] what matters is someone constantly going that extra mile to make sure everybody is satisfied”
I was really pushing the idea internally and with clients that we need to invest to save. So, for example, I said that if we invested £50 in some small scales to measure out the coffee, we can save the company about £3,000. It was the reputation I built with clients.
What would you say to someone who wonders if they are the ‘right fit’ for an Acorn?
Look at your job description and then look at how much you do above and beyond the role to make your company successful.
What would you say to a manager in a contract caterer who wants to enter a team member for an Acorn?
If you think someone is worth an Acorn, then absolutely nominate them. We forget how wide the hospitality market is. You can work in a hotel or in a bar, you can serve fried chicken or serve street food, and you can work in contract caring – what matters is if someone constantly goes that extra mile to make sure everybody is satisfied.
Robin Vermeire, director of group talent acquisition, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
2011 Acorn winner
Robin Vermeire (left) at The Caterer’s People Summit in 2019
Vermeire won his Acorn aged 23 when he was an assistant executive housekeeper with Marriott International. Two months after receiving his Acorn, he transferred to the Dorchester Collection, where he moved from housekeeping to an HR role after encouragement from a mentor. He moved to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in 2017 and held several roles before being promoted to director of group talent acquisition.
What skills did you demonstrate to win an Acorn?
I’ve always tried to do more and put myself forward for additional responsibilities. In the early days of my career, when there were opportunities to get involved in CSR activities, I put myself forward for those. I was going over and above my role and doing something that I wouldn’t normally do in my day job.
“Try and be better than the person standing next to you”
The other thing I’ve found is to try and be part of internal committees. I was the green champion in the Dorchester at the time and I would always question how can we do things better? I did whatever I could do to make myself stand out. And that’s something I often say as a mentor to my team: try and be better than the person standing next to you.
What would you say to managers who wonder if someone in their team is the ‘right fit’ for an Acorn nomination?
The Acorns is not just about food and beverage, it is more about the difference people are making to the industry overall. That could be inspiring young people to join the industry, giving something back for your community, or doing something like championing sustainability. The Acorns is there to really recognise people who go above and beyond without being asked.
There’s so many initiatives and awards for waiters and young chefs, but often the rest of the hospitality industry gets forgotten, so I’d almost say that your team member has a bigger chance to go forward as an Acorn when you’re not in F&B.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone who wants to be nominated?
Don’t ever underestimate yourself; you’re probably already doing things above and beyond in your career – it’s highlighting these to prove you stand out.
Emma Monzon, assistant spa manager, Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club
2020 Acorn winner
Monzon won her Acorn in 2020 while in her role as assistant spa manager at Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire. She continues to work at the hotel, training staff and promoting wellness in the hotel.
What skills and behaviours did you display to be nominated and, ultimately, win an Acorn?
It was a shock for me to be even nominated, because people from my industry don’t tend to be nominated for those kinds of awards – it’s always F&B or hotel staff. My manager said he had nominated me because of my determination, my passion for the job, showing great leadership within my role and always striving to do more.
“Think outside the box and look at people individually. There are people that will stand out.”
I joined in 2015 as a spa receptionist and then was promoted to beauty supervisor, overseeing the therapist team. I then took a training role and trained new team members, and then was promoted to assistance spa manager. For me, it was about pushing myself to do more, getting my team to do more, and growing my skills and knowledge.
The spa is part of hospitality industry – it plays such a huge role. If you take the spa out of hospitality, the guest experience would be very, very different.
What would you say to managers who wonder if someone in their team is the ‘right fit’ for an Acorn nomination?
Look at people individually. Everyone does a job in their own way but some will get the job done while exhibiting different skills and behaviours. There are the people who stand out.
Hebe Richardson, senior nutritionist, data and recipes, FoodBuy UK and Ireland
2020 Acorn winner
Richardson won an Acorn while she was a wellness and nutrition manager at Bartlett Mitchell. She was made redundant during the pandemic, but pivoted her career to work in clinical nutrition while continuing to freelance in the sector. Richardson said that being able to say she was an award-winning nutritionist helped her in securing freelance hospitality work. She returned to sector in spring 2024.
How would you encourage managers to nominate more diverse roles for an Acorn?
There’re so many different roles that cross paths with hospitality, even if it’s not traditionally what you assume to be a ‘hospitality role’. As a young employee, it’s really validating to get that nomination and realise you are making a big difference, even if you’re not the person who’s working back or front of house. Over my years working that sector has continually diversified, so there are always new roles coming up in the world of hospitality.
“There’s so many different roles that cross paths with hospitality, even if it’s not traditionally what you assume to be a ‘hospitality role’”
What advice would give to your younger self?
Don’t be afraid to carve out the career for yourself that you want. Even if the roles don’t exist or you don’t see anyone doing them, if you see a need for something, go for it. Also, don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know something or to make a mistake. You don’t need to know all the answers and it’s a learning opportunity.
Nominate a talented team member for an Acorn Award
Have you noticed a potential Acorn in your team? Make your nomination and they could join The Caterer’s group of the brightest talent aged under 30, and take their place at the awards lunch on 1-2 June 2025 at the Dakota Manchester.
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