CREDIT: MOON CHEESE STUDIO
Alex Dempsey is thankful for the multitude of pathways within the hospitality industry that allowed her to explore something different when she felt a need for change. It is something which has reignited the passion for the 30-year-old, as she shifted gears from back of house to front of house. A former chef, Alex found her feet and gained a new sense of purpose as a bartender and mixologist at Empress Craft Beer in Devonport on Tasmania’s North West Coast. She started her career in the Tasmanian hospitality industry at a young age in a chef position, learning the ropes of front of house at the same time. Over the course of 15 years she moved into different aspects within the kitchen environment, enjoying the creative aspect that comes with this role. “I’d been cheffing for 15 years, and I woke up and knew I wasn’t really happy and so decided to give bar work a go,” Alex says. “It changed my perception of hospitality as a whole. I think being connected with people again changed that for me. “Rather than being in a kitchen and being surrounded by the same people all the time, in bar work, there’s just so many new people to see, to meet, to chat with, and that’s something I really enjoyed about the change between kitchen and bar work.” A bonus, she adds: “I can still be creative like I was in the kitchen because I create cocktails and that is fun for me and I love it.” Alex is one of five hospitality stalwarts who have shared their industry journey as part of the THA’s newest advertising campaign ‘More than Welcome’. While many businesses are bouncing back from two years of the pandemic, staffing levels are a constant battle right across Tasmania.
EMPRESS CRAFT BEER COKTAILS SHOWCASED. CREDIT: MOON CHEESE STUDIO.
33 Tasmanian Hospitality Review Feb/Mar Edition
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