Take five... with Finley Start

Time at The Headland: 3 1/2 years

1, Who or what brought you into the hospitality industry?

I ‘ve always had a passion for food and cookery. I trained as a chef at Camborne College and worked at The Terrace alongside it to get a bit of an understanding. I’ve always said to be a great chef you need to know your customer and how to handle them. I fell in love with this place and front of house, managing people and a department. I never saw myself as front of house but it’s ended up working out quite well.  

2, What are your main roles and responsibilities?

A lot of what I do is floor-based, as well as admin. I focus on orderings and ensuring the restaurant has everything it needs and I help with rotas, creating training and development   and floor-training the team. I have also taken on a bit more responsibility with menus, wine lists and food pairings to create a service journey when you’re sat at the table. It’s good fun – we don’t have to be here all of the time but we choose to be here a lot of the time because we all have a passion and love for the place.

3, What would you like to be doing in five years’ time?

I don’t see myself leaving in the next five years. I see potential progression – where that is, I’m not quite sure. I’m always up for a challenge and always willing to take a step up and have more responsibility, as it will only better myself and the company in the long run.

4, What’s your favourite thing about working at The Headland?

It’s the team. The core team which has been here for years are some of the strongest and willing people you’ll ever meet. They’ll do anything for anybody. It has a true family feel – we’re all colleagues, but we also see each other out of work. It’s more like a family than a team.

5, What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I’m quite into my wines – I spend quite a bit of time drinking – sampling and research. I really enjoy trying different things and going to a wine merchant and trying them with different dishes is wonderful. Also spending time on the beach is great – I only live five minutes around the corner.