Katie Watson was first spotted at the Young Chef,
Young Waiter awards where she achieved second place. Ian Whittaker
the Training Manager saw the potential that Katie had and invited
her to the squad selection. Although competing by herself, Katie
still had to meet the WorldSkills standard at the team selection.
She put on a fantastic performance, beat the standard, and was
awarded a place in Team UK.
Having seen what a fantastic experience her colleague
Julie Doig had with WorldSkills, Katie decided this was something
she simply couldn't miss. Leading up to the event Katie received
some on the job training from her employer Gleneagles Hotel as well
as experience working with industry experts in different
restaurants, hotels and bars.
The Restaurant Service competition tests competitors
in fine and casual dining, banqueting and bar work. The competition
is unique in that the competitors work with real guests made up
from official delegates and observers.
Katie's dream is to one day run her own hotel, and
she took a significant step towards that goal by collecting the
Bronze medal at the WorldSkills event.
When asked what competing has done for her
professionally, Katie responded
"The training has put me five years ahead of where I was when I
started, I have learned so many new skills and it's really built my
knowledge. As a person I'm much more confident and I could see
myself maturing throughout the journey."
Keen to stay involved, Katie has become the Alumni
Activist for the 2009 team. She is also helping with the next
competitor's training and will be judging their work at the
competitions.