Emma Primrose, Cumulus Inc.
What is your role at Trader House, what does this involve?
I am the Assistant Restaurant Manager at Cumulus Inc. This involves running the restaurant during service, running events in our many spaces, leading the team, rostering and recruitment.
What has been your journey in hospitality prior to joining Trader House?
I grew up in Canberra. After I finished school, a good friend and I started working at Scope restaurant at Mount Stromlo. We were fairly inexperienced, however, Simone the owner really trained and pushed us – she was tough but she rewarded us with her trust. I briefly studied justice at University but quickly realised it wasn’t the path for me. Following this, I worked in a few of the cafés in and around Canberra. Working with owners who were passionate about their businesses inspired me to pursue a career in hospitality. I had visited Melbourne a couple of times, and it seemed like the best place to follow that dream. I worked for Higher Ground for two and half years – it’s an amazing and incredibly busy space and I really liked how they were pushing the boundaries with the brunch menu at the time. I studied business at RMIT (which I have now completed) and through a friend I applied for the job at Cumulus Inc.
What do you like to do when you're not at work?
Going to restaurants, experiencing how other restaurants do it. I live in the city, and I love wandering around and seeing what is going on – going into interesting food stores, going to markets, popping into City Wine Shop.
Are there any women in hospitality (or other industries) that have inspired you and/or mentored you?
My first boss, Simone instilled core old school hospitality values that have stuck with me. She encouraged me to think about the small details and all the while trained us to keep our heads above water and adapt. She didn’t hold us back, she let us take responsibility and ownership even though we were young and inexperienced.
We’re very fortunate at Trader House - we have a lot of strong female staff in the group. Leanne Altmann, our group beverage director, has a wealth of knowledge that she very humbly shares with everyone. Her attention to detail (something I pride myself on) is second to none. I am also really inspired by the young up and comers – like April who works with us now. Watching her come in with less experience but really grab every opportunity that she’s presented with is inspiring.
If you could give one piece of advice for women thinking of embarking on a career in hospitality what would that be?
‘Invest in yourself, pick a direction in which you’re wanting to head, be that front of house, reservations, finance, in the wine team; immerse yourself, learn as much as you can. Be confident. Confidence is key. How you present yourself is important.’
What’s next for you in your career and what are your long-term aspirations?
Becoming Restaurant Manager at Cumulus Inc. is something I’d love to do when I am ready. I love it as a space and thrive on the relationships I’ve built up with our guests. Having worked here in roles from the ground up, I really feel like I know it and all the elements that make it tick. Long term I would like to have a family. We have plenty of people who have kids working at Cumulus Inc. and I think it’s possible to have a family and stay in operations rather than moving into a back of house role.
