Bennet came to Grootbos as a young man with the willingness to work and
to make his way up the ranks. His first position was that of Gate Porter. Two
years later a position as Trainee Barman became available and Bennet
immediately applied for the position. The diligence and dedication that he had
demonstrated as Gate Porter made him the best candidate for the new position.
He didn’t have any food or beverage management experience though and had to
start at the bottom, yet showed remarkable commitment to achieving his goals
from the start.
With hard work and plenty of initiative Bennet worked his way to become
Head Barman. It was in this new position where he was offered the opportunity
to attend the Let’s Sell Lobster
courses, specifically those relating to wine and the principles of food and
wine pairing. He sees this as a critical point in his career when “wine become more than another beverage in
the bar selection”. It is here where his interest in wine germinated and
grew to where he would visit wineries on his off days and attend special wine
functions, such as the Riedel Tasting Experience. Although Bennet’s current
duties do not exclusively on wine and wine service, he sees this area of his
job as the most enjoyable. His ultimate goal is to become a renowned sommelier in
his own right. He wants to expand his knowledge of foreign wines and hopefully
travel to different wine regions.
Bennet views the Cape Legends Interhotel Challenge as the next trial of
his career. He is excited about opportunities that are made available to
participants and has found renewed energy to improve his wine knowledge and
service skills.
We wish Bennet all the best in the Cape Legends Interhotel Challenge and know that his commitment to his work will serve him
well throughout.