The Marylebone Hotel, London

It has been a great overall experience going to London and working for the Doyle Group. From day one, I was welcomed as part of the team and was made to feel very welcome. The team are so close-knit and really see themselves as a family. Staff were so accommodating and didn't hesitate to help me in any way they could which helped me settle in a lot faster than any other place I've worked in.

Although saying that, I did experience a small amount of stress at the start to try and achieve my own goals while working as an Erasmus student, as well as trying to portray a high level of professionalism in order to create a level of reassurance between WIT and the Doyle Collection for future students who may decide on doing their Erasmus with them.

Just under two months of working there, the Head Pastry Chef, Moinul, and his wife ( also working on the pastry section) decided to take a week off together. They rarely got to do this as they are the only two on the section. This meant that I was going to have to work alone which I was quite nervous about but got on with it and did what I had to do. It was hard because I was alone and didn't get the chance to do everything personally prior to this (each of us usually did our own specific jobs in the morning and then mise en place in the afternoon). I tried to keep on top of all mise en place as well as get everything done for functions, The Pantry, afternoon teas and restaurant deserts which was challenging but nothing a few hours overtime wouldn't fix. On their return they seemed pleased with what I achieved and feedback from the Head Chef was positive too. After that, I was given a lot more responsibility and was put on the section alone a lot more frequently which made me feel a certain level of self accomplishment and self belief.

I soon learned that the Head Chef had nominated me for the employee of the month and I won it, along with a £100 bonus. This proved to me that they really do monitor and appreciate hard work carried out by their employees. Before I started working there, I heard that the company was voted one of the best places to work for in the World, and they truly are. They always give recognition for a job well done and really take care of their staff in relation to this along with company perks etc.   

                     

I would highly recommend The Marylebone Hotel to future Erasmus Students who would like to travel to London. It has been the best experience for me to date and I am even thinking about going back to the hotel to work after graduation! It would also be a great idea to work there and get your foot in the door to maybe even get a transfer to their hotel, The Dupont Circle, in Washington DC if it would be something of interest.
Working with the Doyle Collection can open so many doors leading, not only to your future career, but also towards your personal development.

I recently came across a short video on Youtube (link posted below) which gives feedback from some of the chefs themselves. This video was published in October 2016 and all but one of those chefs are still there which shows that the staff turnover is very low because people are really happy working there, as was I.

The Kitchen at The Marylebone (click for short video)


Sharon Doyle