‘Winning spurred me on’: 5 Acorns on how the award changed their careers

Sarah Frankland, executive chef, Pennyhill Park

2012 Acorn winner

What did winning an Acorn mean to you?

The Caterer is such a big, iconic publication in our industry, so just to be recognised was really nice. It’s a hard process to go through, but you think, “Someone’s looked at what I’ve already done and they think my trajectory is looking really positive”, and that’s amazing.

 

How has the Acorn shaped your career?

The fact I have an Acorn on my CV is massive. When I’m applying for jobs it’s a really big thing as the awards are very well-recognised. And the people I met through it were not just from my cohort of Acorns but from subsequent years too, so it really expands your network.

 

What piece of advice would you give someone who wishes to be nominated for an Acorn?

Make sure you’ve got a mentor, someone strong in your work life to support you throughout your career. It will change as you move up and around the industry, but you need someone cheering you on. Now, I want to be a mentor for other people coming through.

• Read how Sarah Frankland won her award

 

Emily Coubrough, rooms division manager, One Aldwych

2021 Acorn winner

In what ways has winning an Acorn shaped your career?

I was working at the Savoy when I won my Acorn, but there was another Acorn, Amelia Harper, from the Rosewood London, at the award weekend. That brought Rosewood into my mindset and opened up my eyes to more opportunities. If it hadn’t been for that weekend, I wouldn’t have started following Amelia [on LinkedIn] and I probably wouldn’t have seen the job posting that was advertising a front of house role.

 

How has the network helped?

Being an Acorn gives you the opportunity to network, gives you greater exposure and also more of an understanding and awareness of industry trends. It’s a huge confidence boost; hospitality is a tough industry to work in so it’s great having that network to speak to. I also met one of the industry mentors, Lisa Jenkins [chief executive for the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts] at the weekend.

 

What did winning an Acorn do for your career?

Having the Acorn on my CV and on LinkedIn showed that I’m a hard worker. And, while I don’t know if I can say that it got me my new job, it certainly does make employers aware that you have been working hard from a young age.

• Read how Emily Coubrough won her award

Jon Reed, chief executive, Paddy & Scotts

2006 Acorn winner

Jon Reed (right) with Paddy & Scott’s Scott Russell and Zoe Hill

 

What did it mean to you to win an award?

I felt an utter sense of pride that someone felt I was worthy enough to be even considered for something so prestigious. To find out that someone had nominated me was great for the soul. The whole experience of connecting and engaging with 29 other really bright, intelligent people in the industry was unbelievable. It was rocket fuel; we had a terrific weekend of activities, networking and relationship building. The relationships I cultivated are still there today. You are part of a prestigious club, and you don’t really understand how prestigious it is until you get involved with it.

 

“For me, 19 years later, when I needed somebody, they were there, and they invested in my business”

 

How has the Acorns’ network helped you?

All these doors open to people who are interested in supporting you and want to sponsor your career. In January 2024, I bought the business that I had worked in for six years. The person who helped me do that was a connection that came from the Acorns, so it’s not just about the weekend or the awards in that year, it’s about cultivating many more relationships. For me, 19 years later, when I needed somebody, they were there, and they invested in my business.

 

What advice would you give to someone who wishes to be nominated for an Acorn?

There’s no downside – it’s all upside. Potential applicants need to consider what judges are looking for and, if you want to succeed, you need to stand out from the crowd.

• Read how Jon Reed won his award

Robin Vermeire, director of group talent acquisition, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

2011 Acorn winner

How did winning an Acorn affect your career?

At one of the lunches at the winners’ weekend, I sat next to Zoe Jenkins, general manager at Coworth Park [part of the Dorchester Collection] and she connected me with the chair of HR in Hospitality Sean Wheeler, who was then the area director of HR at the Dorchester Collection.

 

I had a really good chat with Sean. He said there was a housekeeping position opening up at the Collection’s Park Lane hotel and suggested I would be great fit. That got the ball rolling. I went through the interview process and landed the role. I then transferred to the Dorchester hotel a year and a half later, still in housekeeping, but I always stayed very close with Sean. All the things that I enjoyed the most about my job in housekeeping were to do with people – development training, succession planning and recruitment – so when an opportunity came up in HR, Sean told me about it and the rest is history.

 

Is it purely because of the Acorn where I am now? Not necessarily, but it is culmination of things, including hard work, determination and doing something extra to impress the people you deal with.

 

In what ways is the award helping you in your role now?

My job is to build an employer brand, so I need to able to talk about roles to people entering the industry in an inspiring way. It helps to be able to say, “I won an Acorn at the age of 23 and it’s really set me up for meeting lots of people and really driving forward [my career]”.

• Read how Robin Vermeire won his award

 

Now it’s your turn to help win someone an Acorn award

 

Nominate your Acorn award winner today 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.