Making it to the top in hospitality

As International Women’s Day approaches, we caught up with Amanda Afiya FIH to talk about what she’s been up to this last year and what it takes to get to the top as a woman in the hospitality industry.

How are you finding working as a consultant in these strange times?

Like everyone else, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster – physically, emotionally and financially. Having lost a lot of work and not qualified for much in terms of grants, I have definitely struggled to motivate myself at times during the past year. Conversely, I have also had many days when I can see the bigger picture and realise how fortunate I am, and on those days I’m very grateful for the work that have I received during this period. Fortunately, many of the projects I work on could be mothballed – so we’ve not been losing money unlike many other businesses – but we/I’ve had very little coming in. An old boss used to tell me that it was weak to use the word “hope”, but I’ve found myself hoping for a lot in the past 12 months – not just for myself but for everyone in our industry. And so, as the industry slowly opens up again, I hope many in hospitality will be able to claw their way out of this cavernous hole, and, as a result, my opportunities for work will open up too.

How have you kept busy over the last year?

Although it’s felt like there’s not been much going on, the days have just disappeared, to be honest. While Sauce Intelligence, the mystery guest audit business I run with my business partner Giovanna Grossi FIH, has been extremely quiet, my other roles have kept me reasonably busy. I work as a non-executive director of Cartwheel Recruitment so am in regular contact with its managing director, Hannah Horler, I sit on two fundraising committees for Hospitality Action, so am in frequent contact with Mark Lewis and the HA team too. I’m a trustee of The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts’ Adopt A School programme and we have, of course, maintained all our trustee and committee meetings. And I also write. I’ve been fortunate to have had a few commissions from The Caterer, and last year I worked as a writer on Tom Kerridge’s The Hand & Flowers Cookbook, which was a considerate piece of work and an absolute joy to be involved in. Tom’s such a cheery, creative and positive person and he definitely helped me to keep my spirits high while we completed the project in the first lockdown. I’ve enjoyed long walks on Dartmoor, where I live, with my 16-month-old black Labrador, Bear, and having more time on my hands means I have been to devote countless hours to training him. Having said that, his recall is pretty shocking!

You also worked as editor of The Caterer for many years, what did you love most about this role?

First and foremost, I was absolutely devoted to my team, and, three-and-a-half years on I still miss them all hugely. I don’t think I really suit working alone. Of course, many of them have since left The Caterer too, but I speak to many of the old team on a weekly or fortnightly basis – and although many of us are now independent writers, we still support and inspire one another remotely. I just loved writing about the hospitality industry – something I’ve now done for 30 years – and I never cease to be impressed by the achievements of the sector’s talent pool, from the youngest of Acorns or FutureChef entrants through to the captains of industry. I learned on the job and I think I relate to a lot of people in the hospitality industry who did the same. Their hardworking, diligent attitude inspired me on a daily basis to push myself at The Caterer and always “lean in”. But if you’re asking me to really drill down, the one thing I truly loved was breaking down the barriers with people and getting to know the person behind the title. Sometimes when you interview people in hospitality, it’s hard to get past the veneer, the person they want to project for their role, but I always want to get to know people on an emotional level; I want to know what life experiences have shaped the person I am interviewing to be the person standing in front of me today.

What makes the hospitality industry so special to work in?

With hard graft, anything really is possible. You can have the most amazing career – and that doesn’t matter what sector of the industry you are working in, or at what level. A lot of places have popped up in recent years that demonstrate that you don’t always have to have highly technical skills to do well. But, whatever you choose to do, whether that’s running a burger van or food truck or a luxury, five-star hotel, you should do it to the best of your ability. The expression “under promise and over deliver” plays out brilliantly in the hospitality environment, and it’s such a gift to be able to make people feel good while you just go about your work.

You are chairing the branch event ‘Innovating in a pandemic’ later this month, how much innovation have you seen in hospitality over the last year?

Clearly, large pockets of the industry have been forced to innovate in the past year. Some of the diversification has been pretty organic, such as takeaway meals and food boxes, but others have taken on roles that they knew very little about and that’s impressive. I know, for many, takeaways and food boxes has been something of a loss leader for businesses, but I think these developments have done wonders for brand profiles, they have been great for people’s mental health on both sides (for employees and the customers receiving the fruits of their labour), and people have hopefully developed a revenue stream that can continue post lockdown and actually become profitable. Our panellists for “Innovating in a pandemic” have completely reskilled to get through the lockdown and their stories are inspiring.

Is there a particular innovation story that has really impressed you?

It goes without saying that I’ve been blown away by the difference hospitality has made to people working on the front line during this pandemic. It’s been unbelievably heart-warming, and it’s incredible to see Tom Kerridge’s Meals from Marlow initiative – a free food delivery enterprise – morph into a permanent charity to help NHS staff, key workers and people in need, for example. Last month, they passed the 100,000^th meal milestone. As a business concept, I loved seeing distillers kick into action with their hand sanitisers, and I’ve enjoyed watching the birth of Momma Bains – the takeaway, homestyle Punjabi food (mostly vegan) – from two-Michelin-starred chef Sat Bains. My colleagues at Sauce Intelligence – Giovanna Gross and Stephen Wilkinson – who will both be speaking on the innovation webinar later this month have swapped careers to survive financially during the pandemic and that approach has got to be applauded.

We are celebrating women in hospitality leading up to International Women’s Day on 8 March… Thinking about women in the hospitality industry, do you think we’ve seen a shift in females making it to the top over recent years?

Definitely! It was heartening to read last month (February) that the number of women on FTSE 350 boards has risen from 682 to 1026 in five years, according to the Hampton-Alexander Review. More than a third of those FTSE board positions are now held by women, and I am convinced that percentage will only grow.

This news also came hot on the heels of Clare Smyth and Helene Darroze both receiving arguably the greatest culinary accolade – three Michelin stars – at their respective restaurants in London. I’ve seen brigades change massively in the 30 years I’ve written about the industry and it’s great to see the back of testosterone-fuelled kitchens. People like Clare, Helene and Angela Hartnett have been trailblazers for women in the industry and, alongside changes in outlook as well as law, opportunities have really opened up for women that sadly weren’t always available when I first knew the sector. As a young, female journalist it was intimidating walking through kitchens that were almost exclusively male. So, I applaud the people – of all genders – who worked to break those glass ceilings.

What skills do you need to get to the top in hospitality? Particularly as a woman…

Hospitality is demanding and many roles within the industry would be viewed as unsociable by those on the outside looking in. But on the inside, we all know that it can be great fun and the camaraderie is second-to-none. You do need to love it to get to the top, it needs to be in your blood, but with dedication and hard work you really can follow the career path of your dreams. Even if you have missed out on a certain qualification or experience in your earlier career, there are always ways of making up for lost time if you are prepared to apply yourself. It’s a very supportive industry and you will never fail to find someone who is prepared to give you a leg up when you need it the most. Don’t forget that millions have walked in your shoes before you and so many leaders are itching to give others the opportunities to progress that they once had.

What are your hopes for the hospitality industry over the next 12 months?

I’m hopeful that this really is the last lock down and the industry will quickly return to fantastic levels of trade, better than before. Last spring, elderly people were encouraged to isolate, but having had their vaccine I hope they will be out and about in hospitality venues having the meals they missed out on last year. I’m sure that venues in holiday destinations will have a bumper summer and this will no doubt continue through the winter as more and more UK residents opt to holiday at home. And long may that continue. But I also hope that people will support the cities too. Hospitality venues in our major cities are often quiet during the summer months and they really do need the populations’ support if they are going to survive 2021. Responsible operators have demonstrated that they can provide safe environments for people and I for one cannot wait to get back in them!

What has been the most memorable day in hospitality for you?

It may surprise people, but for years I found public speaking absolutely terrifying. This made my job as editor of The Caterer quite difficult as I was required to speak at numerous conferences and awards throughout the year. I remember interviewing restaurateur and former AA inspector Simon Wright at an exhibition once and I was physically sick before going on stage, and that wasn’t an uncommon reaction for me. But having to deliver the eulogy at my best friend’s funeral after her sudden death (we were both in our mid-30s) was perhaps the biggest challenge to overcome, and I realised that if I could deliver a speech to 200 chefs, I owed it to her to do this one last thing for her and her family. Nothing seemed as scary after that, although I can’t say that I ever learned to love making speeches – although I think I will always have Mark Lewis’s words ringing in my ears “it’s just reading out loud”.

You were recently elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, how did this moment make you feel?

Unbelievably proud. It felt like I was being rewarded for the many hours and years that I had devoted to writing about the industry and helping the people in it. I’m ashamed to say that I often put my job before my family and I will be eternally grateful to my husband and children for not holding it against me. I have always made myself available to people in the industry seven days a week and that will never change. I do admire people who are able to compartmentalise their work, but I’m big on loyalty and it’s important to me that my friends in the sector know that I’m there for them morning, noon and night.

Which elements of your IoH membership do you use the most?

I took on a mentee as part of the Institute’s Mentor Me programme just before Christmas and I’ve found the IoH Library invaluable for that. I’m well versed in mentoring journalists or putting an arm around the shoulders of someone in the industry, but committing to this programme has required me to develop myself at the same time as supporting my mentee. I don’t think I could have picked a tougher time to mentor someone in hospitality and it’s needed both of us to dig deep and keep positive. But I’m loving the experience, and, critically I can only hope that my mentee is finding it constructive and beneficial.