to mingle, it was something that I really didn’t have a whole lot of time doing studying science, where you’re locked away in a bit of a lab. “I found out that I really love just getting out and talking to people, helping people to have a great experience and have fun and laugh and smile, and that’s what I got a lot of joy from. The more I got to mingle with people here, the more I loved it.” Since returning home from the nationals on the Gold Coast, Bomford has barely had time to catch his breath. St Albi’s customers have made sure of that – as has his wider network of friends and family. “He’s so creative, he creates all the cocktails, manages the team in the bar, does all the ordering, manages the floor, he’s the 2IC.” - Lucy Baker “Overwhelming, the amount of support from the local community. I couldn’t go five minutes scrolling through Facebook without seeing my name pop up… It is like having the whole of Tassie at your back. It feels amazing. “I walked past two or three tables [on his first shift post awards] and they all pulled me aside to congratulate me. It made it a bit hard to do my job… but it’s a really lovely feeling that everyone has recognised the work that we’ve been doing here. “I think that’s one of the really good things about Tassie and the community we’ve got here, being away from the mainland, everyone’s sort of in the loop.” W hile Bomford’s victory grabbed headlines across Tasmania, the state delivered a stellar result overall nationally, collecting six awards. This was the second-highest tally in history, behind only last year’s record haul of seven.
2IC now.”
Bomford credits the St Albi. environment built by Baker for letting him shine, where once he found his feet it didn’t take him long for him to realise hospitality was the somewhat unexpected calling for him. “Definitely the biggest thing for me, I obviously put in a lot of work, but I have such a great team supporting me and giving me those opportunities. They’ve always been encouraging, they always give me honest feedback, and they’re able to back me up on the day to day. It’s nice to know that you have those opportunities without having to worry about all the other stuff, because you’ve got your team there, which is something that’s great about our community. “Obviously I was really keen on my sport, and I was studying education. In the classroom I was focused on biology and science and that area and I suppose that was probably the goal, either to be an educator, or be involved in sports science or physiotherapy or something along those lines. Then I came home, I was planning on going back but never made it back. I fell in love with St. Albi and working with people, it is always a joy to get
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Tasmanian Hospitality Review December/January Edition
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