Jaroslava Vankova, who is Functions Supervisor at the College, was ranked in the top six for the 2018 President’s Award with the Réunion des Gastronomes.
The Award, which identifies and encourages excellence in professional food and beverage services, is open to anyone working full-time at a team management level in food and beverage services in the UK hospitality industry.
Jaroslava was selected for the final shortlist of six and invited to the Institute of Directors in London to meet a judging panel and have lunch with the other candidates.
She started working at St John’s College as a casual employee before becoming Functions Assistant in 2013 and then being promoted to Functions Supervisor in 2017. Her previous roles include working in a hotel in Bideford, Devon and then at the Lensfield Hotel in Cambridge.
Bill Brogan, Catering & Conference Manager at St John’s College said: “We are incredibly proud of Jaroslava’s achievement in reaching the final shortlist for the President’s Award in the Réunion des Gastronomes.
“This prestigious organisation provides a unique opportunity for learning and advancement supported by members of the Réunion and the Award is pitched at the very highest levels in the industry. Although she didn’t make it to the final three, it was a great experience for Jaroslava and underlines her commitment to developing her career further.”
Wallace Vincent, President of the Réunion, added: “It is only our second year of running this award, and after the success of last year, the calibre and number of entries is clearly going from strength to strength.”
All finalists will be invited to the Annual Banquet at the Savoy in November, at which the winner will be announced. The winner will receive four two-day placements across different industry sectors, as well as benefit from unique mentoring and networking opportunities.