Welcome to Part Three of our Behind the Scenes Blog series, where each month we take a little time out to get to know the faces responsible for making your stay at The Trout Hotel extra special.
Today we’ll be chatting to Lorraine, P.A to our Managing Director, and Jo, our fabulous Derwent Restaurant Manager. Read on to find out which of these lovely ladies got married at The Trout Hotel 25 years ago and which met her husband of almost 6 years whilst working in our restaurant.
Lorraine | P.A. Managing Director
So, what does your day to day as the P.A to the Managing Director involve?
Oh gosh, where do I start? Well, I’ll probably come in and be completely bombarded and thrown straight into it. One minute I could be finalising service contracts and chasing engineers and another I could be proofing publications and overseeing The Trout Hotel’s social media pages. Everyday is different.
What do you enjoy most about working at The Trout?
Definitely the variety. As I said, not one day is ever the same and that goes for the whole 6 years that I’ve been here. I love getting my teeth stuck into the nitty gritty- especially maintenance. Not many people like that, but I love it. I actually got married at The Trout Hotel 25 years ago as well, so it’s been lovely to see it grow and truly blossom into what it has become today.
What do you think makes The Trout Hotel special for your guests?
I think the quality of our bedrooms are incredible, we get a lot of great comments about them and I can understand why. However, I think the friendliness of our staff is what makes The Trout Hotel extra special for guests. We’re like one big happy family, which I think is incredibly unique to find these days.
If you could recommend your guests one thing to try, what would it be?
My absolute favourite dish ever would have to be the scallops- they’re sensational. Although I would highly recommend any fish dish, as well as the steaks- they’re fantastic.
What do you enjoy most about living in The Lake District and do you have a favourite place?
The quality of life is incredible. Who needs a gym, when you’ve got all of this lovely space when you open your front door? My favourite place to go and have a little explore would have to be Latrigg and then I’d have a wander down into Keswick for a bite to eat.
What do you do in your spare time?
When I’m not working long hours, I love to spend time with my daughters, as well as socialising with my friends over wine and cocktails. I’m also a keen distance swimmer- I’d really like to complete a lake swim for charity in the near future.
Jo| Derwent Restaurant Manager
So, how long have you been working at The Trout Hotel?
I’ve been here for 9 years! I started off as a waitress and put my application in for a managerial position a few years later. 9 years on- it looks like they’re well and truly stuck with me!
We’ve heard that you may or not have met your husband at The Trout Hotel, is this true?
Yes it’s true! Andy had been working here for a year before I started and when we met we just got on incredibly well. We’ll have been married 6 years in September.
Oh wow, what’s it like to work with your other half everyday?
It really is great, honestly! We’ve worked together, as long as we’ve known each other, so it’s just a norm for us now. It definitely helps that Andy is a lot calmer than me, so when we’re busy, we’re never both stressed and agitated- I think that definitely keeps the peace!
What do you enjoy most about working at The Trout Hotel?
I love how my regulars have got to know us as Jo and Andy, and not just as “those two from The Trout”. I think it reflects amazingly on how personable and approachable our team at The Trout is, which in comparison to larger hotels that I’ve worked in is incredible. I always tell my team to treat people how they would want to be treat themselves, but most importantly be yourself!
If you could recommend your guests one thing to try, what would it be?
I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m desperate to try the Chateaubriand from the new Derwent Restaurant Menu . I’ve heard so many amazing things about it, I can’t wait. Andy and I are also a huge fan of sharing the Antipasti dishes, you can never go wrong with them and a nice bottle of wine.
What do you enjoy the most about living in The Lake District?
Oh, it’s such a different pace of life here and everyone is incredibly friendly. I used to live in Bradford, and for the years that I lived there I didn’t once have a chat with my next door neighbour! Cockermouth is a completely different story- it’s such a friendly and close-knit community.
What do you get up to in your spare time?
We have two dogs, so Andy and I love to get out, in and around the Lakes. I’d say my favourite place to go would either be Crummock Water or Buttermere, because the scenery is so tranquil and unreal. We’re also big lovers of cooking, so we always make the extra effort to visit local butchers and select good quality wines to complement our dishes. We like to call this training and research for work!
A big thank you to our lovely staff, for once again taking the time to help us create this post. If you enjoyed this blog and you’d like to find out more, then why not catch up with Lesley, Kieran and Tracy in Behind the Scenes: Part One.