As we're halfway through 2024, we thought it would be a lovely time to round up the last few months of staff news. From promotions and apprenticeships to babies and promotions, it's been a busy few months across The Brend Collection.
Of course, with many brands and more than 1100 employees, we’ve only featured some of the key promotions, retirements and congratulations, but for the latest staff news you can always check out our social media pages for each hotel, restaurant or spa.
Years Service toBrend Collection
The Imperial Hotel celebrated Jolene’s 20-year service award, an incredible achievement that we can’t thank her enough for.
Head Office celebrated Mel's, our Company Accountant, 20-year service award where she has climbed through the ranks to get to where she is today.
Sue will be marking 7 years of outstanding service as Head Housekeeper at The Devon Hotel on June 12th. Sue's leadership and unwavering dedication to maintaining high standards of cleanliness and comfort have been invaluable to the hotel.
Honouring 6 years of service in Maintenance on June 25th. Craig's expertise and reliability ensure that The Devon Hotel's facilities are always in top condition.
New Arrivals & Bundles of Joy
Exciting news from The Barnstaple Hotel Leisure Club! Adam, is expecting twins in July. We are thrilled for him and his growing family, and we wish him all the best as he prepares for this next chapter.
Maddy at Saunton Sands Hotel, who is part of their Food & Beverage team, is expecting her first baby in October.
Megan from The Royal & Fortescue Hotel welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Isabella. Two Chefs from The Imperial Hotel welcomed their own bundles of joy, Mike welcomed the lovely Vinny and Corey welcomed baby Chester to the world. Nina from Saunton Sands Hotel welcomed a gorgeous little boy in April.
Promotions
In April, Jake at The Park Hotel received a well-deserved promotion from barman to hotel supervisor! We're excited to see him continue to grow in his new role and contribute even more to the excellent service we strive to provide. Here's to Jake and his continued success!
In June, Joel Mason stepped into the role of Trainee Manager at The Devon Hotel, as he continues his Hospitality Management apprenticeship. Joel's commitment to learning and growth has already made a positive impact, and we're confident he will continue to excel.
We're pleased to announce that Chris Binns will be taking on running The Devon Hotels kitchen as their new Head Chef. Chris has always been a creative force in their kitchen team, and we're excited to see the innovative ideas he will bring to the table.
A big congratulations to Rose on her well-deserved promotion to Reception Manager at The Devon Hotel. Rose has been a pillar of the hotel’s reception team for years, consistently demonstrating exceptional dedication and customer service. In her new role, Rose will have more opportunities to manage revenue and bookings, ensuring our operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Paige and Chloe at The Royal Duchy Hotel have recently been promoted to Housekeeping Supervisors for their continued hard work and dedication.
At Saunton Sands Hotel, Andreia rejoined the team as their new Head Pastry Chef, Georgie is training to become our latest Spa Therapist and will soon join our Source Spa team.
Beachside Grill promoted Karen to Supervisor and Rhys was promoted to the Beachside Grill Management team.
Ollie at The Royal & Fortescue Hotel was promoted to Sous Chef after his continued hard work and dedication. Halle who has recently returned to The Royal & Fortescue Hotel from her travels has been promoted to General Assistant. Yasmine and Lilly from 62 The Bank have recently been promoted to Restaurant Supervisors whilst also completing apprenticeships with Brend Training Academy.
Engagements & Weddings
Rose from The Carlyon Bay Hotel got engaged to her partner David. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and wish them a lifetime filled with happiness. Here's to their journey ahead, we wish them all the best on their wedding planning.
Christina from The Royal Duchy Hotel welcomed a beautiful baby girl Mila in January. In June, she tied the knot with now husband Noah at The Carlyon Bay Hotel. A huge congratulations to them both!
New Faces
The Barnstaple Hotel has welcomed many new faces to the team. Ben has joined housekeeping as Deputy Head, while Mariia and Yaz have joined the reception team. We’re excited about all they will bring to the team.
With the opening of our second Source Spa at The Victoria Hotel, we've welcomed many new faces to the Source Spa team. They are Jaquelyn, Imogen, Evie, India, Michaela and Molly.
Apprenticeships
Saunton Sands Hotel have had top marks all round with Cameron who completed his Chef De Partie Apprenticeship and Liz who both completed their apprenticeship with distinctions. This is the second consecutive qualification for both Liz and Cameron, all through our in-house Brend Training Academy in partnership with HIT Training.
Liam Bailey, Saunton Sands Restaurant Manager is in the final stages of completing his apprenticeship, we wish him the best of luck!
Departures
In May, we said farewell to Matthew Chui, manager at The Park Hotel. Matthew, a key part of the Brend Collection since 2012, is returning to Hong Kong to be with his family. He began at The Barnstaple Hotel as a waiter, became junior assistant manager in 2016, worked briefly at The Bank, before becoming a familiar face at The Park Hotel. Known for his dedication and warm personality, Matthew will be deeply missed by both guests and colleagues. We wish him all the best in his new journey.