The trustees and judges of the Gold Service Scholarship announced the much awaited 2020 Scholar at a presentation at The Berkeley in Knightsbridge on 12 February.
Congratulations to the 2020 Scholar Elizabeth Forkuoh, who is FBS junior assistant manager at Strathearn Restaurant at Gleneagles, Scotland. Having proceeded through the quarter final, semi final and final assessments over the past months, where she was interviewed and had a wide variety of front-of-house skills assessed, the judges found Elizabeth to be a striking and engaging candidate.
Forkuoh started working in hospitality at Stradey Park Hotel alongside her studies, before joining Gleneagles in 2017 and progressing to her current role as FBS junior assistant manager in mid-2019.
As the new scholar, Elizabeth will enjoy a range of prizes to broaden her hospitality experience, including work placements overseas and in the UK, as well as a stage at either Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle for a State Visit, and a tailored education course on hotel and restaurant management at the Lausanne Hotel School.
A special commendation was also awarded to Lauren Frid, the assistant supervisor at Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental London, with judges noting her consistent performance throughout the competition.
The scholarship was launched in 2012 to recognise and encourage a lasting heritage of excellence in hospitality, and its Patron is Her Majesty The Queen. Chairman of the Gold Service Scholarship Alastair Storey comments “The talent pool of candidates gets better and better each year, and the 2020 group of applications has truly impressed the Trustees and Judges with their professionalism. Not only are their service skills totally on point, but thye have a remarkable enthusiasm for the industry. Each of them has become a proud ambassador for choosing hospitality as a great career option.”
Commenting on Forkuoh’s achievement, chairman of the judges Edward Griffiths says “All eight winning Finalists deserve their place, and judging at this level is so difficult when the quality is so high. Elizabeth shone through with very rounded characteristics, and impeccable social skills. She has earned her crown as a talented Scholar, and Lauren Frid equally deserves her commendation.”
To read more about the scholarship, visit the website here
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