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Heroes of Hospo: Angie Atkinson, winner of the Outstanding Sales Rep Lewisham Award

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Certified Sommelier and writer for wine columns in M2 and M2Woman magazines, Angie Atkinson, has twenty years experience in the Hospitality and Wine industries including owning two restaurants and a cafe along with her own wine business which has been in operation for more than ten years.

Angie is passionate about wine and hospitality. She takes pride in providing exceptional service and has built lasting relationships with customers. This has won her the Restaurant Association of New Zealand Outstanding Sales Representative Lewisham Award in 2019.

Here’s 10 questions with Angie Atkinson:

 

What made you decide to go into the industry / what gave you your first start in hospitality?

As a teenager I wanted to be a chef but wasn’t 100% sure it was for me. I left school and started working in a café full time, I really enjoyed engaging with customers and my fate was sealed, I was a front of house person!

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by all the passionate, hardworking and amazing people I meet that are doing what they love. Hospitality isn’t an easy industry to be in, long hours, staff issues, working with the public and all those pesky sales reps trying to sell you something, haha!

What do you love about the hospitality industry?

It’s so varied and full of energy! There is always something new happening, a new opening, a new trend, an event or a tasting, it’s always fresh and exciting.

What are your key challenges?

My biggest challenge when I was in hospitality was being a mother of two young daughters and a restaurant owner, it was a juggle! Currently I’m working on personal development, expanding my sales network and setting goals for the future, I like a challenge.

What is the secret to your success?

Always doing my best, always moving forward. I love setting goals and achieving them, I still get a buzz every time I get a new listing in a restaurant.

What is the best piece of advice you have received to date in your hospitality career?

You can’t please everybody. It’s an awful lesson to learn but it’s true.

What one piece of advice would you give to people starting out in the industry?

Find someone you respect and look up to and learn as much as you can from them. Be humble and soak it all in, thinking you know everything leads to disaster and is super annoying, haha. I’ve been in this industry for a LONG time and I’m still learning!

What do you think makes NZ Hospitality unique?

I spent some time in Europe a few years ago and although I loved the change of scene and had a great time, I really missed NZ restaurants! Our food is fresh, colourful and vibrant and so are the people who serve it. We are so lucky to have so many options and such a diverse population that whatever you feel like you can find, it’s pretty amazing.

Which restaurants are on your dining bucket list?

New Zealand restaurants; I haven’t made it to Pasture yet and would like to check it out. Internationally, I’ve just started planning a trip to Spain and Greece next year. I would love to go to Arzak, Café Iruña and Restaurante La Perla in Spain. I’m hoping to eat my body weight in octopus, taramasalata and feta in Greece but one place I would love to go is Ambrosia Restaurant, a little bit because the first restaurant I opened was called Ambrosia but mostly because it looks amazing!

What do you do to relax?

I get bored easily so relaxing isn’t something I tend to do well, haha. I do like watching movies, hanging out with my daughters and drinking wine though!

 

 

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