Amelia Coates, general manager of the Angel Inn, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, Inn Collection Group
Expectations of working in hospitality: I always worked in the sector going through university. But it wasn’t until three years ago that I saw my career starting in it.
I came back to it literally by accident. I had a car crash which left me in chronic pain. I had become isolated and withdrawn and beginning a new job as front of house was a way for me to start to rebuild not only my fitness but my confidence and self-esteem.
I almost felt I was taking a moment out. My expectation was that it would be for a short while. The reality was I fell in love with the trade – the lifestyle and the businesses ethos. Until that point, I had never found that ethos. To me, it’s not about finding the job – it’s about finding the company.