An Aberdeen cocktail and catering company has added some fizz to the Press and Journal’s Apprentice 100 campaign.
Bosses at 10 Dollar Shake – the business behind the city’s popular Tippling House, Rye and Soda and Bos’n venues – will take on two trainee managers as part of our quest to create scores of new jobs for youngsters in a matter of months.
The trainees will be used as guinea pigs for 10 Dollar Shake’s new in-house training programme, which will be launched later this year.
The programme gives staff members a chance to get their personal licence for alcohol sales and earn a wide range of hospitality sector certificates from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and the Shaker Bar School.
Head bartender Adrian Gomes said the programme is key to creating a conveyor belt of talent and helping the company promote from within.
He said it will give employees more confidence when talking to customers because they will have a better knowledge of the products they are concocting and selling.
And as an added incentive, pay rises are aligned with the completion of the different modules.
Mr Gomes said: “The new recruits will have a massive role to play in the success of the business. For us to grow as a company we need to make sure we have got depth to our management team so that we can support our current operations.
“This year is about gauging the effect of the local economy on our business and using it to strengthen our brand and put in place a system that can help us grow.”
He added the roles would be ideal for people who are looking to gain some professional qualifications.
Gillian Paterson, a restaurant supervisor at Rye and Soda, started working for the company on a part-time basis while studying at university.
Although Ms Paterson is now looking for graduate jobs, she is confident the skills she has picked up in the last 18 months at 10 Dollar Shake will be put to good use.
She said: “I’ve gained a lot of experience working with the team here. A lot of it is front-of-house management, but there is also an element of getting to grips with admin.
“It’s fast paced here, particularly at the weekend, so you learn a lot of troubleshooting skills and how everything should be done in a hurry.
“At the same time, it’s a fun working environment with friendly staff. The chefs are keen to show you stuff if you want to learn, for example, in summer they had lots of lobsters and oysters and we could watch them being prepared.”
Become a 10 Dollar Shake trainee by sending a CV and cover letter to gomes@10dollarshake.com