Congratulations to Joshua Jamie Thyer
Congratulations Josh!
The nominees for this award were:
Emma Muir
Trearddur Bay Hotel
Despite suffering from a serious illness which has required lengthy hospital stays, Emma Muir has completed an Apprenticeship in Hospitality which she began at Trearddur Bay Hotel in 2020.
Emma has been praised for her dedication to her personal development when faced with continuing ill health.
When she is feeling well enough, she is welcomed back to Trearddur Bay Hotel by supportive manager James Harper for short shifts.
'Emma has been a huge part of our hotel for many years and news of her illness hit us and her very hard,” says James. “To see Emma return this year with drive and passion to continue her own development, whilst battling against this illness, was incredible. It shows the type of person she is - a huge asset to this hotel and family.”
Joshua Jamie Thyer
Cues Sports Bar, Abergele
Former professional junior darts player Joshua joined Cues Sports Bar, Abergele as a very reserved 18-year-old wishing to build a career in the licensed trade.
His darts skills were recognised when he became part of the Darts Academy where he became one of the top players until a condition known as dartitis severely damaged his performance.
The owner of Cues Sports Bar gave Joshua the opportunity to work towards the BIIAB Level 2 Certificate in Licensed Hospitality Skills and Operations to enhance his knowledge.
From the outset, Joshua was keen to learn and, during the course of the qualification, he has developed into a confident young man who takes pride in his work and welcomes new challenges. Joshua is now left in charge when the bar owner is away.
Sophie Rowe
Gaerwen Arms
Sophie Rowe is one of Wales’ outstanding young chefs who developed her skills under the supervision of Andrew Tabbener at Gaerwen Arms, Gaerwen.
She chose to make her competition debut in the prestigious National Chef of Wales 2023 final where she competed against some of the top chefs in Wales and finished runner-up whilst still being apprentice.
She went on to complete her Foundation Apprenticeship in Professional Cookery in style and now runs her own business.
Assessor Tony Fitzmaurice says he feels honoured to have been part of Sophie’s journey from a shy apprentice to a qualified chef who’s an inspiration to others.
“Sophie is leading the way in outstanding, young, upcoming, female chefs, not just in the north, but the whole of Wales,” he adds “This has been achieved by her passion for the job and her determination to learn and be better.”
Award Sponsor
We’re an award-winning family-owned hospitality business with a heritage that spans aver 50 years. Our three hotels; The Waterloo Hotel, Royal Oak Hotel and Stables Lodge are all based in Betws-y-Coed. Between the hotels there are 5 restaurants, 3 bars, outdoor eating venues, spa, fitness and leisure facilities.
Our core values make us who we are, we committed to using local, seasonal fresh produce, delivered by a great team, with many having worked with us for over 15 years. We invest in our employee’s skills and development by sponsoring courses, offering apprenticeships and having strategic career progression lines.