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Leanne Pepper has been working in the hospitality industry ever since
she was old enough to get a job. From scooping ice cream to housekeeping
to waitressing, Pepper did it all.
While some teenagers took service jobs out of necessity,
she took them out of interest.
"People loved to be taken care of and I had a passion
for that," she recalls.
Pepper, who grew up in London,
Ontario, worked for three years at Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta where she got
her first taste
of working in the kitchen. She was hooked and wanted
to learn more but the chefs were too busy to teach her their tricks of the
trade.
"I had been working in the industry for all my life so
I really felt I wanted to bring it all together. The
only way to get training was to go back to school," she says.
Pepper chose the
George Brown Chef School based on its reputation as being one of the best
culinary schools. "It was an amazing experience. I loved
every moment of it," says Pepper. "The program gave you
a good foundation and you could go out and put your own
touches on it."
After completing her apprenticeship at the King Edward
Hotel, she got a job with McMaster University’s faculty club
where she worked for 10 years. Then the Faculty Club
at the University of Toronto had an opening, which
Pepper applied for. She has been the general
manager there for the past 12 years. The club offers
its members (faculty, staff, alumni and donors) a
place to socialize with colleagues
from other disciplines as well as a location to host
special events like receptions,
graduations,
weddings and business meetings.
As the general manager,
Pepper’s responsibilities are wide and
varied. In addition to overseeing the kitchen and
dining staff, she is also involved in marketing, special events
planning, staff
training,
relationship building within the university and researching
new trends.
"If we’re not taking care of our members, someone else
will so we have to keep it interesting," she explains.
Pepper also
teaches etiquette workshops at the Faculty
Club for students whose future careers will include
business dinners with high-powered, sophisticated
clients.
"I encourage more people to get into this industry.
There are so many opportunities and it’s such an exciting
industry," says Pepper, who feels that interest in hospitality has
waned
over the years.
For those who are set on pursuing
a culinary career, the Chef School comes highly recommended
by Pepper. "George Brown is the best especially under
the leadership of John Higgins (the Chef School’s director),"
she says. "… It’s
so tempting to go back and do it all over again."
Read more stories from George Brown Graduates...
We encourage you to visit the Alumni Association.
To learn more, visit the George
Brown College Alumni page.
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