Crieff Hydro’s trainee managers secure permanent managerial roles

Jasmine Ritchie, Shania Beaty, Georgia Williamson, Ellie Anderson, and Vianney Lemoine have secured permanent managerial roles within the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, after completing a qualification in Hospitality Supervision and Leadership at SCQF Level 7.

The group were presented with their certificates by group CEO and chairman Stephen Leckie and director Fiona Leckie at a recent celebratory dinner held at Crieff Hydro.

Laura Raeburn, who is currently front of house manager at Kingshouse Hotel in Glencoe, graduated from the programme in 2022 after being inspired by her mum to embark on a career in hospitality.

The 24-year-old, who is originally from Peebles, relocated to Kingshouse Hotel when the venue reopened in 2019, and quickly decided she wanted to take the next steps in her career.

The year-long programme saw Raeburn and four other trainee managers gain a range of skills and experience in each department of their hotels, as well as the opportunity to work at other venues within the portfolio, with a guaranteed managerial position at the end of it.

Raeburn said: “When I finished high school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. University wasn’t an option, so I was stuck thinking: what’s next for me? Thankfully my mum Caroline, who is the hotel manager at Peebles Hydro and has worked there for over 30 years, encouraged me to get a job in the hotel’s restaurant, and I instantly fell in love with hospitality.

“I progressed on to become a food and beverage supervisor before moving across to reception, where I found my passion for working in front of the house. My mum’s boss and general manager Patrick Diack at Peebles Hydro initially told me about the trainee managers programme, and he along with my mum encouraged me to go forward for the course.”

She added:“The course gave me a fantastic insight into every department within the hotel and helped me discover which areas I enjoyed working in the most. It also definitely helped having my mum’s guidance, she is without a doubt my biggest role model. There were definitely some departments I was more nervous about working in than others – the kitchen being one of them.

“However, looking back, it was undoubtedly one of my highlights – not only was it lots of fun, but it was really interesting for me to see how the kitchen operates and how it ties in with what goes on front-of-house. The advice and support we received from the leadership team throughout was utterly invaluable. Having the opportunity to get some one-on-one advice from Stephen and Fiona Leckie was amazing, and something which I’ll continue to treasure throughout my career in hospitality. I have been with the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels for nearly seven years, and I’ve accumulated more qualifications working here than I left school with.”

Stephen Leckie, CEO and chairman of Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, said: “My sincere congratulations goes to Jasmine, Shania, Georgia, Ellie and Vianney as they take the next steps in their careers within the group.

“Our teams continue to lead the way in nurturing new talent within Scotland’s hotel and hospitality industries, and our trainee managers programme is a real testament to that. I look forward to watching each of these individuals grow and continue to develop their skills and knowledge within their roles in the years to come.”