The Stewarding Manager
The Stewarding Manager
As a trainee in food and beverage, one of my responsibilities was serving coffee and tea during the hotel F&B Management meetings.
It was a good place to observe.
- General Manager
- Director of Sales and Marketing
- Chief Accountant
- F&B Manager
- Executive Chef
- And many others…
People discussing important matters I barely understood.
One thing puzzled me. Why was the Chief Steward participating in the meeting?
I understood the Executive Chef. I understood the F&B Manager. But the dishwasher?
At least, that was how my young and inexperienced mind looked at it. Only later did I understand.
- Health and safety start and end with stewarding
- Cleanliness starts and ends with stewarding
- A perfectly prepared dish served on a contaminated plate remains a failure and a risk to guest safety
- The most talented chef cannot succeed without clean equipment
- The most beautiful restaurant cannot function without clean glasses, cutlery, and plates
Stewarding is the backbone of food and beverage.
In much the same way that housekeeping is the backbone of rooms, engineering is the backbone of infrastructure, and night audit is the backbone of financial control.
The lesson was simple: The most important functions are often the least glamorous and the least visible.
As young professionals, we are often attracted to titles, uniforms, status, and visibility. Life eventually teaches a different lesson.
Organisations do not succeed because of the people who receive the most attention.
They succeed because of the people who quietly do their job every day, often without recognition.
That observation shaped how I view organisations today.
Respect is not determined by title. It is determined by contribution.
This lesson in humility has stayed with me throughout my life and career.
Thank you for reading my article.
This article is about learning respect.
This is the fourth of a series of articles – “What hospitality taught me about myself” – in which I share lessons learned throughout my professional and personal journey, and how those experiences have shaped my thinking and led me to develop my own principles.
I hope it has provided some food for thought, encouraged curiosity, and inspired you to keep learning.
Curiosity, humility, and continuous learning remain among the most valuable tools we possess.
About the Author
Raoul Gransier is a Senior International Adviser and owner-focused hotelier with more than 25 years of operational and advisory experience in hospitality, tourism, governance, and performance improvement.
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