Hospitality Industry Rising Star
WINNER
The Covid pandemic wreaked havoc on hospitality businesses across Tasmania, but for St. Albi it also delivered a silver lining in Matthew Bomford. Living in Missouri in the US in 2020 – studying biology and science while on a soccer university scholarship – Matthew returned home to avoid the border closures but soon found himself needing a job. Despite no hospitality experience but an interest in the field, he landed a trial at St Albi and after a nervy start has not looked back, and was recognised this year as the industry’s Rising Star. having “I started on the floor, and that was a real sharp learning curve. I had no hospitality experience, so I was really fresh,” Matthew recalls with a smile. “I didn’t really know what the expectations were, then there was an opening in the bar, and I moved into there and really dedicated myself to learning lots, soaking up everything like a sponge and just keeping eyes on everything, learning every minute of every day that I was here. “I’ve sort of grown in that position and taken on a few more responsibilities. I now run the bar and I work the floor most nights, which
is a real change from where I first started! It’s slowly sinking in [winning the award], I knew that I was nominated, but I had no idea whether my nomination was accepted, or whether I was going to be in the sort of top five, top 10, where I was going to sit. So it was quite a surprise when my name was called out.” St. Albi owner and hospitality stalwart Lucy Baker still remembers when Matthew’s resume came across her desk – and although there was no hospitality experience she didn’t
hesitate in offering a position following an initial meeting. “He was terrible on the floor, but I knew that he had something in him. We always actually laugh about that because mid shift, I was like, ‘No Matt.. you are a deer in headlights’,” Baker says. “I can teach people to carry plates and to pour wine and to present wine and all of that, but I cannot teach people work ethic, kindness, and all the things that come in hospitality, like working under pressure, conflict resolution, having
that upbeat personality when you know things are hard, you still have to maintain a real positive energy. really “Some of the hardest workers work in hospitality. You are juggling lots of balls at the same time, and you just really have to have a really great personality, and that’s what Matt had.” “He’s really excelled and the award was so true, he is a rising star and such a great advocate for the hospitality industry, and how far you can come.”
41 Tasmanian Hospitality Review October/November Edition
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