Rocco Forte Hotels director becomes Gold Service Scholarship trustee

Lydia Forte, group director of food and beverage at Rocco Forte Hotels, has recently joined the Gold Service Scholarship board of trustees. In her role, Forte will support existing trustees to help shape and direct the future of the industry’s only dedicated scholarship for front-of-house professionals. Forte joins founding chairman, Alastair Storey, alongside trustee and chair of judges, Edward Griffiths, and other trustees, Silvano Giraldin, Sergio Rebecchi, Thomas Kochs, Knut Wylde, Alessandro Fasoli, and Secretariat, David Battersby. Storey said: “On behalf of the entire board, we warmly welcome Lydia Forte as our newest trustee. “As a scholarship, we have had a longstanding relationship with the Forte family and their support of the scholarship together with that of the Lord Forte Foundation, has been incredible. We look forward to the expertise Lydia will bring to the board as we look to continue to build on the successes of the last 10 years.” The Gold Service Scholarship offers young front-of-house professionals the opportunity to hone their craft through mentoring, travel and placement opportunities provided by the industry’s most senior service professionals. Over the last decade, candidates have come from a range of hotels and restaurants across the UK, as well as event and foodservice companies, Royal Palaces, and private clubs. Lydia Forte, daughter of Sir Rocco Forte, who himself is an ambassador and sponsor of the scholarship, is responsible for the performance of Rocco Forte Hotels’ food and beverage portfolio. After graduating from the University of Oxford, Forte worked as a waitress at Hix in London’s Soho, and then as assistant manager of the Markham Inn in Chelsea. After studying for an MBA at INSEAD in 2013, she returned to the company in 2014 to work on further restaurant projects. Forte said: “I’ve always been passionate about restaurants, particularly delivering fantastic service and interacting with guests. I look forward to working with my fellow trustees on how we can inspire the next generation of service professionals and show young people the opportunities a career in hospitality can offer, as well as support and develop them to reach their full potential.”