After moving from small fine dining restaurant The Lavender House, where I worked with The Assembly House director Richard Hughes since the age of 15, the grandeour and variety that the Assembly house brings was a massive challenge. Moving from a team of five to a team of 30 was a big shock and the role of weddings and events was somewhat of an unknown, but I threw myself into it! After 18 months I moved permanently onto ‘the floor’ as a duty Manager working daily with the restaurant and events team. And 18 months after that, I took on the all-encompassing role of Operations Manager which means I am called on to take charge of the full day-to-day running of the House in all customer-focused areas. The last step was very recent, moving into the role of General Manager. Responsibilities now include budgeting, recruitment and the long term strategy for the business. The Assembly House is hugely challenging, rewarding and inspiring. It’s a real pleasure to walk into this building on a daily basis.

I moved to Norfolk after working for a number of years in central London at a number of top class establishments such as The Dorchester, Claridges Hotel and The Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane. The Assembly House is a fantastically diverse operation and I have helped to build the success of the Afternoon Tea service at the House. We regularly produce up to 2,500 small cakes and pastries and up to 2,000 scones a week alone. My first two years have flown by at The Assembly House, and we have fantastic plans to move forward with all things sweet at The House.