Simone Sylvestre – Acorn Scholar 2009

Simone, 25, a Brazilian national who has worked in the UK for five years, has progressed through the ranks within Restaurant Associates from General Assistant through Sous Chef to her current role as Catering Manager in London.

Simone’s passion and drive to have her own Wine Bar is demonstrated in her achievement as a finalist in the Roussillon Desert Trophy 2008 and self funded trips and wine and spirit education trust (WSET) and FISAR international Sommelier qualifications. Winning the Acorn Scholarship is a major achievement for Simone:

“I’m so proud and delighted to have won the Acorn Scholarship,” says Simone. “It is a dream come true and knowing how tough the competition makes this all the more satisfying! Having already met many of the people involved in the Scholarship and witnessing how far previous winners have come, I really can’t wait to start arranging my educational trip to California!”

Read Simone's blog on Caterersearch.com

Rob Hartwell – Acorn Scholar 2008

Opportunity of a lifetime for young chef

Rob, 26, is Sous Chef at the award-winning Peach Pub Company, where his natural talent and passion saw him rise from kitchen novice to a sous chef role in four short years.

Whilst at The Fishes in North Hinksey Village, Oxford, he took every kind of challenge in his stead – from helping create the pub’s award-winning Sunday roasts to serving freshly prepared picnics to over 300 guests a day.

Winning the scholarship meant Rob could literally expand his horizons overnight. He embarked on a four month food tour of Australia and the Far East, with stages at Neil Perry’s Rockpool and Bill Granger’s Bill Surry Hills, then onto Singapore and Fiji to learn about street food and traditional dishes cooked underground with really fresh, honest ingredients.

“My food tour really opened my eyes to a whole new world,” says Rob. “It was totally inspiring being immersed in so many different food cultures and experiencing such a great deal about how other people cook. I learned lots about myself and lots about food, every day. And I came back a better and more confident chef, for sure, full of new ideas and excitement for a job I adore.”

You can read about Rob's Food Tour on the Caterer Blog

Julie Lardie – Acorn Scholar 2007

"Winning the acorn scholarship has exceeded all my expectations! I’ve learnt so much, visited some of the best places and met some of the most inspirational people in our industry.

The scholarship has given me an opportunity to travel abroad and as part of my prize I also started a part-time management course. I really feel that I have developed incredibly this year and I’m really going to miss being the Acorn Scholar!

By the end of my Acorn scholarship year I had already achieved many of my short term career goals and I know that it was largely due to the confidence and motivation that winning the scholarship gave me.

I now had the confidence to apply for a national position at ISS Mediclean and was offered a job as their ‘healthcare sector dietitian’. I had always wanted to play a more strategic role in a company and I now get to visit lots of different contracts throughout the UK.

The Acorn scholarship judges also introduced me to several new contacts and I’ve particularly benefited from creating links at the Food Standards Agency and Department of Health.

I completed my Open University Certificate in Management in 2008 which is the main thing that I spent the bursary money on. It was a tough course but I’m very proud to have a greater understanding of the business world and some new letters after my name!

So all in all – the Acorn scholarship experience has been fabulous for me and I feel truly privileged to have been chosen as the 2007 scholar."

Jon Reed – Acorn Scholar 2004

Jon was delighted to win the Acorn Scholarship back in 2004 whilst working in food and beverage management for Marriott Hotels (at the time managed by Whitbread). Jon’s ambition was to become the leader of a inspiring hospitality business and this is still Jon’s goal.

Since winning the Acorn Scholarship, Jon has achieved great results whilst working his way up through learnpurple to his current role as Operations Director. Jon has gone on to win further accolades including the HCPTA Rising Star Award in 2005 and a prestigious Acorn Award in 2006.

Jon is now Chairman of the Acorn Scholarship and with the help of Lisa Jenkins and other supporters has grown the scholarship into a enviable prize with an impressive track record of developing and inspiring other young people to go on and achieve great things in their careers.

Jon thrives on achievement and values the people he meets both through work and through the Acorn Scholarship.

John Price – Acorn Scholar 2003

“I won the Acorn Scholarship back in 2003. I remember it like it was yesterday! I was working at the Marriott in Lincoln at the time as Restaurant & Bars Manager. I was having a successful career but no different to many other graduates on the Marriott scheme. But then I won the Acorn Scholarship and I suppose you really had to know me beforehand to see the difference. This was the turning point of my career. My vision was to change the perception of the industry: no mean feat, but I wanted everyone to know how proud I was and still am to work in the hospitality industry.

Since winning the award I progressed rapidly with Marriott, becoming Operations Manager at their Ipswich hotel, and then a Norwich Country Club hotel. This is not only down to hard work and personal drive, it was the new found confidence that had risen to the surface since winning the award. During my Scholarship year, I spent a week in New York visiting and eating in many of the top restaurants as well as interviewing the Managers to assess why the perception abroad was different to the UK. I also spent time with Villeroy & Boch as well as a personal life coach and masterclass training with Learn Purple. It was just the most amazing year, I don’t know how I had time to work as well! But the biggest success was the people I met on a daily basis, some of the most influential figures in the industry. Who would have thought I was drinking with people like Michael Caines 12 months ago? This confidence transferred into the workplace and before long I was mentoring the team like Michael has done with me. You cannot buy or teach anyone what the scholarship has done for me. Also since winning the Scholarship I won the prestigious Acorn Award in 2004.

I am now living the dream back in my home town of Darlington, as General Manager of Bannatyne Hotel working for Dragon’s Den star Duncan Bannatyne. I’m involved with several other projects within the Group as well as organising many of his personal parties and celebrations. I am still confident to this day that I would have had a decent career, but without the scholarship it would not have turned out the way
I had always dreamt of....”