Firsts & Lasts with... Bianca Barabas, Training Manager at Green & Fortune
First & Lasts
It is said that the two most important moments in a restaurant are the moment you walk in the door – the hello – and the moment you leave, the last bite you take, the last person you speak to – the end/goodbye. But so much of our life is shaped by first and lasts, so here we profile amazing women of the industry, talking about some of their first and last moments...
Hospitality born and bred, Bianca Barabas stumbled into a human resources role by chance when she joined D&D London as Talent Coordinator back in 2017. Two years later, she started Teach me Something!, a collection of interviews promoting learning and development in the industry. Moving to pastures new, Bianca just joined Green and Fortune as Training Manager, with a focus on interactive training initiatives for the group’s cafés, restaurants and catering business.
First cocktail ordered on a night out: It has to be an Old Fashioned, it never disappoints. The best variation I tried was a mushroom-infused Old Fashioned at the Washhouse, Manchester. Partial to smoke.
First food poisoning: This time last year. I remember feeling sick on my way to work, but did not pay much attention. The fever went up quickly so I had to step out of a job interview after only a few questions – actually I have been kicked out of the restaurant the minute someone realised it was food poisoning.
First job in hospitality: My F&B internship in Belgium. I was very clumsy at first – I remember dropping a tray full of champagne flutes in the middle of the bar. I dropped out after a few weeks, convinced that it is not the right industry for me. A few months later, the General Manager invited me to return and finish the programme. There are very few people who would have given me a second chance, but I am grateful he did.
First thing you do to unwind after work: FaceTime. It’s very easy to get caught up in work or just in living in London. My family and closest friends, they are all around the world at this point so it is easy to find someone awake. It is my work-life integration button.
First thing you do in the middle of a hellish day at work to stay level headed: A latte.
First thing you do when you wake up: A latte.
First thing you do when you plan a holiday: I check World’s Best Bars. Then I look for the local bistro. The coffee shop. The art gallery. My Instagram while travelling is very predictable: drinks, food, questionable paintings.
Last thing you bought at an off license: 4 figs for one pound.
Last three favourite places you ate in:
Pasha Restaurant in Conversano, Italy, an amazing tasting menu and wine paring. Other recent highlights have been…
Mana, Manchester.
Hideaway at Chelsea Barracks for their croque-monsieur. Lashings of truffle!
Last song you listened to: Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?
Last podcast you listened to and what did you take away from it: Bartender at Large, Developing Immersive Cocktail Menus with Jillian Vose. How to deliver high level product, in different settings, for different people, in different ways.
Last glass of wine you really enjoyed & where: I rarely drink wine. I received a bottle of Condrieu, François Villard which I really enjoyed at home. Second to that would be a glass of Meursault, Ballot Millot et Fils in le Coucou.
Last time you had a proper day off and what did you do with it: I had a proper month off this September, went travelling. October was quite intense: back in London, a new role and a wine newbie course to go through. I would not want to disconnect anyway, my go-to places, my hobbies, my news feed - they’re all about hospitality.
Last time you exercised: I don’t run and tell.
Last review you read and agreed with: I like a good article, but I don’t read reviews. I wrote my dissertation on Tripadvisor’s impact on restaurants’ reputation and the hundreds of reviews read back then left me a bitter taste.