A 34-year-old hospitality professional from Kendal has relaunched his career in the sector with a new managerial role.
Craig Harrison is the new restaurant and banqueting manager at Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa on Windermere, having returned to the tourism industry from a nine to five factory job.
Having moved back to the Lake District with his young family, Craig decided earlier this year that he needed a job within normal working hours.
So he swapped the sociable life of hospitality for something more conducive to family life, taking a steady, regular hours job with an engineering and manufacturing firm.
Three months later he realised just how much he was missing his work in hospitality, so he applied for a managerial role with English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues, landing the restaurant role at the hotel group’s flagship site and overseeing a team of 18 staff.
Craig said: “I’m loving being back in hospitality. Some of us just have a natural affinity for customer serving roles and we really thrive on the social and leisure environment.
“I guess I fall into that category. I’m now in charge of food and beverage in The Windermere restaurant.”
Craig started his career in hospitality as a teenage potwasher, before progressing on to a number of roles in Cartmel, including as bar manager at Simon Rogan’s Pig and Whistle Bar.
He subsequently worked as restaurant manager at the Black Bull in Malden, near Scotch Corner, after its £3.5m refurbishment.
He then landed a restaurant manager job at The Malmaison in Newcastle.
In that role he entertained many famous guests, including Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, Mo Farah, Ricky Hatton and Irish rock band The Script.
