CODE’s Employee of the Month for January is Joshua Wilkinson, assistant restaurant manager at Claridge’s.
When did you realise you wanted to work in hospitality?
I worked as a waiter at 16, and one late evening two guests asked me for some fried snacks and a cheese board. Although the kitchen had long closed, the chef kindly pulled together something assuming they were intended for myself. The guests cried of happiness and gave me a hug when they left. They were old friends and hadn’t seen each other in years, thus lots to catch up on. It was that night that I realised the power of a small personal gestures – and I have been addicted to delivering such simple pleasures to as many people as possible ever since.
Why did you want to work at Claridge’s?
With London being one of the most fascinating cities in the world, particularly in our industry with such a huge variety of Food & Beverage offerings – I knew I had to experience living and working here. This, combined with my interest in 5* luxury hotels, and eager to learn from the best meant that Claridge’s soon ended up at the top of my list.
Who inspires you?
I don’t think it would be fair to single out an individual whilst I’m so frequently inspired by lots of people around me. Generally speaking, I am often inspired by those who are genuinely great at what they do and also intrinsically themselves – whether they are devoted to their work, or simply have a contagiously positive attitude in life.
Do you have a hidden talent?
I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily hidden as I’m an open book, but I’ve got quite a good eye for peculiar details and quality. I would be one of the first to notice that one out of the 4 screws in a hinge is not matching the others…
What is your desert island dish?
That’s difficult whilst there is hardly anything I dislike eating and too much that I love – but I guess you can always make me happy with a good Indonesian Nasi Goreng, Satay and a peanut sauce (or a sour tangy lemon meringue pie for pudding!).
Where would you like to be in five years’ time?
Career wise I’d definitely like to be Director of F&B by then – but in terms of location, who knows…
What is your favourite offer on the CODE app?
I try not to go to the same restaurant twice, as I love experiencing something new – but some of the rare few places that I visit more frequently are the River Café, Elystan Street and Perilla.
If you have a colleague going above and beyond their call of duty, send your nomination to [email protected]
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