International Women’s Day – Saffy’s Story
Please introduce your name, your current position, and your venue.
I’m Saffy Wilkinson, I’m the Sales and Events Manager for Portobello Pub Co. for Effra Social and Knowles of Norwood.
Can you tell us a bit about how you got started in the industry, and how that has led you to your current role?
I started at Westow House (Portobello Pub Venue) in 2017 when I moved to London to want to become an Actress. I didn’t have much luck trying to find a job when I first got here and I walked into Westow House one day and they called me the same day, I pretty much got the job on the spot. I used it to help pay for my auditions for Drama Schools and it gave me the flexibility to take time off to get to auditions. Returning from Drama School after Covid I got back into hospitality and worked my way up and up and up to where I am now.
What attracted you to the hospitality industry initially? Was it something you always knew you wanted to do, or did your path evolve over time?
I never really knew I wanted to work in a bar until I first moved here. I thought it would be a great way to make friends because I didn’t have any that lived in London. It was a big move, I was only 18 years old. I decided it would give me a good chance and flexibility to be able to commit time to auditioning and being in London I’d be able to go see plays. It gave me the option to be able to do that, and then working for a couple of months I discovered how much I really enjoyed working in a pub and getting to meet different people every day. The one thing I was told in auditions if I wasn’t successful was that I needed more life experience, it definitely helped working in a pub to gain some!
Were there any challenges you faced early on in your career, and if so, how did you overcome them?
I think one of the biggest challenges for me was figuring out whether to pursue more of a career in hospitality without affecting what I wanted to do with acting. I really struggled to weigh up my options in fear that it might stop me from getting into acting, but eventually, I thought that going to Drama School wasn’t a guaranteed thing, having a career as an actress isn’t guaranteed so why am I putting my life on hold for something that I don’t know is going to happen?
Also, in auditions, I was asked if I’d seen any theatre recently and said no because I have a full-time job working 40 hours a week. I’d get told ‘You need to immerse yourself in theatre a bit more’, I found it a little belittling sometimes or not very understanding that not everyone can afford to come and do this.
What role or position was a significant turning point for you in your career? Was there a moment when you felt like you really found your niche in the industry?
I would say the past year of becoming a Sales and Events Manager. When I was working in pubs I started as Bar Staff, Bar Supervisor to Assistant Manager. I ended up holding two sites for about a year and really realised it wasn’t the job for me and had to think about what I wanted to do from here on out. Do I want to stay in hospitality or try for Drama School again? I only ever did a foundation I didn’t get on to a 3-year course, It was weighing up the options of where do I go from here? Where I was in my life I didn’t want to leave my home.
This past year has been such a turning point for me in terms of feeling like I have proper career progression, so many new different challenges that don’t get you down or exhaust you. I think I’ve been able to use a lot of the confidence building that I had in Drama School as a way of doing sales, I think it’s quite an important part of the job to be able to talk to people. I feel like it’s all changed this year, the future has no end!
How has your experience in hospitality shaped your personal growth? Have there been any lessons you’ve learned along the way that have impacted other areas of your life?
I would say a confidence thing, which goes hand and hand with the acting. You’re exposed to so many people every day and you have to talk with them, even if you’re having a bad day it’s putting on a smile and getting through the day. I’ve always been quite an anxious girlie, so almost being forced into it – being bubbly, being personable even though I hadn’t struggled with that too much as I was always quite an outlandish child going through teenage hood.
In my personal life, not take things so personally. There’s that saying ‘You never know what kind of day someone has had’, with customers if they’re having a bad day and take it out on you I’ve learnt to have a lot more empathy for people and listen to their stories and learn from that.
Do you have any advice or tips for other women who are interested in beginning or growing a career in hospitality?
I’d say, be resilient. You’re not always going to get the promotion that you want in hospitality in your first-ever job, you’re not always going to get the audition. It took me 2 years before I even got on a foundation course, when it’s right it will find you. Even though my life hasn’t led to acting, where hospitality has led me it’s changed my life completely. Have faith in yourself and be confident in what you can do, you meet so many amazing people in both professions. Surround yourself with good people who lift you up and you’ll enjoy your job so much more!