What has been your career journey so far at Ally Pally?
I joined Alexandra Palace a year and a half ago as an Assistant Events Catering Manager and have since progressed into the role of Café Operations Manager. It’s been an exciting journey, I’ve had the chance to work across cafés, bars, and large-scale events, all while helping to shape how our food and beverage offer develops. The support I’ve had from managers and colleagues has been brilliant, and there’s always a real focus on learning and growth.
What attracted you to work at Alexandra Palace?
What drew me to Alexandra Palace was the combination of heritage, creativity, and community. It’s such an iconic venue with so much going on, from concerts and exhibitions to family days in the park. The idea of contributing to a place that means so much to Londoners really appealed to me, especially knowing that every penny we make supports the charitable trust.
What’s your favourite thing about working here?
What I love most about working at Alexandra Palace is the energy, no two days are the same. One day I’m welcoming families in the café, and the next I’m part of huge events like the Fireworks Festival. It’s such a special feeling seeing people enjoy themselves and knowing you’ve played a part in creating that experience.
What opportunities have you had for development?
I’ve been really supported to grow in my role through hands-on experience and training. I completed my Personal Licence course and suggested and led the rollout of our new digital time and attendance system, which improved communication and efficiency across departments. It’s been rewarding to see an idea I put forward make such a positive impact across the organisation.
What have been your biggest achievements or challenges since working here?
One of my proudest achievements was introducing that digital time and attendance software, which cut timesheet processing by 50% and improved staff communication. It was later recognised with an internal innovation award. More recently, I’ve been working on reopening the Boathouse Café, an exciting project as it’s the first time we’ll be running it fully in-house. The Boathouse is an important part of the Palace, offering visitors a place to relax by the lake and enjoy great food. Bringing it under our management means we can shape the menu, service, and experience to reflect the spirit of Alexandra Palace.
What are your future aspirations?
I’d like to continue growing within food operations and eventually move into a broader hospitality leadership role. I’m passionate about making food and drink a central part of people’s experience at Alexandra Palace, and I’d love to keep developing initiatives that reflect our creativity, sustainability, and community focus.
How do you incorporate the Ally Pally values into your role?
For me, it’s all about collaboration, creativity, and care. Whether it’s supporting my team, developing new menu ideas, or improving systems, I always aim to make a positive difference. I try to bring enthusiasm and practical problem-solving to everything I do. Working together to make sure everyone who visits Alexandra Palace has a great experience.
If you’re interested in building a career in a unique and dynamic environment like Ally Pally, check out our Careers page to learn more and see our latest vacancies.
