ABOUT
HOSPITALITY PRO/WINE GEEK/ENTERTAINER/GIN LOVER/GENEROUS HOST
Over a decade of experience with luxury hospitality brands including EDITION, Rosewood, and Hyatt.
JOIN ME AS THE JOURNEY CONTINUES!
Hello, I’m Aisling
AKA The Experience Creator
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN…
This journey began many years ago when I was enormously fortunate to call Switzerland my home. Unsurprisingly in the land of cheese and chocolate, food and drink are a huge part of life. Even from my toddler years I have many wonderful memories from dining in the various culinary institutions of Geneva.
No doubt you have your own favourite nostalgic eatery; places that make you wish you could eat there every week! Mine is Le Relais de l'Entrecôte which famously only serves steak frites with their secret sauce. It was there I spent many of my early birthdays and to this day my brother still trys to replicate their secret recipe (with varying degrees of success)! While I didn’t realise it when I was five, I know now that I was drawn to the Le Relais de l'Entrecôte for so much more than just the steak! It was the queuing to get in, the tightly packed tables, the seemingly endless sizzling platters of frites, the elegant waitresses deftly weaving from table to table, and of course, the shere simplicity of the menu. They created an experience that, almost thirty years later, still makes my spirit soar.
A MEANS TO AN END…
After leaving school I decided to take a ‘gap yah’ and ‘find myself’. The irony is that I traveled far and wide only to find my true calling just down the road.
I applied for a job at my local gastro pub to fund my travels and amazingly the manager, who is now one of my dear friends, took a chance on me. I remember I was terrified before my first shift and had a bit of a shaky start including a tearful meltdown when a guest yelled at me! But gradually I began to settle in and found my knowledge and confidence were growing.
I went off to university but returned to pour pints in all my holidays and at any other opportunity! For those of you have been lucky enough to work in this industry you will know there is something so addictive about the energy of a busy bar that fills you with adrenaline and keeps you coming back for more.
AFRICA CALLING…
Yearning for adventure (as many graduates do!), I found a hospitality course and internship program in South Africa. I would have to pay for the priviledge of working (!) but it was a start.
The training program, designed to prepare you for the luxury lodge industry, included everything from changing the tyres on a Land Rover and dealing with snake bites to hosting bush dinners and making cocktails! After two weeks I was placed at a lodge for my internship where I thrived in creating personal experiences for guests. I spent my Christmas Day making paper snowflakes for a surprise private anniversary dinner. I then took it upon myself to serve the couple for the entire evening to make sure everything was perfect!
LA VIE EN ROSE…
Let’s be honest, what foodie doesn’t want to work in Paris? It’s not surprising that when I was offered the role as Restaurant Hostess at Hyatt Paris Madeleine I jumped at the opportunity!
Attention to detail and anticipating guest needs were paramount. Even the most junior waiters were eager to point out my mistakes so I had to learn quickly to save myself from embarrasment.
I am eternally grateful to my colleagues and my F&B director for training me in the art of five-star service.
IT’S A WAY OF LIFE…
Lots of people are reluctant to go back to studying having found independence and I was one of them! But having left Switzerland eighteen years previously I found myself returning to attend one the world’s top hotel management schools: Les Roches.
The highlight of my year was undoudtedly the wine club. I had always enjoyed wine but the club ignited a passion within me which has burned ever since. They flew in experts from across the globe to teach us about everything from Vin Jaune to Vintage Port. It was during our weekly sessions that I gained an appreciation for wine and made lifelong friendships. Les Roches is not just a school, it’s a way of life.
INTO THE DESERT…
Imagine being put in charge of launching a gin bar when you’ve only been with a company for a month! It was a terribly daunting challenge and the fate of the bar was in my hands. Over next few months, I developed an in-depth knowledge of more than 150 gins and helped develop the range of signature gin infusions. I invested most of my energy into the team to ensure they could share our passion for juniper with the guests. I even had the pleasure of hosting marketing events where my creatvity flourished with experiences such as a gin chocolate fountain!
My achievements wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for my mentors who knew I needed to be hardened! To say they threw me in at the deep end would be an understatement! But thankfully, with their support Rosewood Abu Dhabi made me who I am today!
LIGHTS, CAMERA, EDITION!…
Being part of an opening team is the dream for many hoteliers and it’s arguable that there is no more exhilarating opening than those for Ian Schrager’s EDITION.
Creating the cocktail menu for EDITION was absolutely thrilling! I worked together with my talented team and encouraged them to think outside of the box and let their imagination run free. We developed a list of stunning drinks through experimentation, curiosity and passion. One of my creations, Weiss Negroni, was the headliner at a Ferdinand’s Saar event we hosted and just thinking about it makes me thirsty!
REALISING A DREAM…
During Covid-19 I started hosting online wine tastings for family and friends and before I knew it I was embarking on a whole new business venture.
I’ve drawn from my diverse experiences from the past ten years to create a range of food and beverage experiences designed to educate, delight and inspire.
Life is for living so let’s start making memories!
