Hina Shaw, Gimlet at Cavendish House

What is your role at Trader House, what does this involve?

I am a Supervisor at Gimlet, where I work full time. This involves being on the floor, managing a section, training new staff members, and I am also becoming involved in some administration to assist the restaurant managers.

What has been your journey in hospitality prior to joining Trader House?

My first official job in hospitality was with Trader House at Supernormal when I was sixteen. This was five years ago whilst I was still at school and it was a junior role. It involved getting the restaurant ready for service, running food, clearing tables, polishing cutlery. Before this I had helped out at the pub that my Dad and my step Mum own. My Dad is a chef, and his wife grew up in a hospitality family. My Mum used to work in restaurants (that’s how she and my Dad met) and my step Dad is a chef (he is the group development chef at Trader House).  So, I’ve really been surrounded by it my whole life – it’s in my DNA. I’ve never really thought about doing anything else and even though I’ve seen the hard side of it, it’s still magical to me.

After Supernormal, I moved to work at Builders Arms Hotel and from there to Gimlet. I studied hospitality for a while, but I found it was too broad for me. The education I was getting at Trader House both practically and through the in-house management training program was the best way to learn. 

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

It’s so obvious but I love going to restaurants. France Soir is my favourite. I go there at 3pm between lunch and dinner service. The atmosphere is more relaxed than during peak lunch or dinner service and the waiters have time then to really talk to you. Other than that, I love going to the beach, being social, spending time with my family. I don’t cook (maybe because with two chef parents I haven’t ever really needed to) – it’s the service side of the industry that I’m really into.

Are there any women in hospitality (or other industries) that have inspired and/or mentored you?

Jodi Langford is both an inspiration and a mentor. She hired me at Supernormal and really gave me a chance. Recently we’ve been working together again at Gimlet and she really pushed for me to become a supervisor. Jodi always knew how to teach me things – how to get the best out of me. She has lived and worked overseas and taken some risks with her career – I really admire that. She also works with her partner Tim. That’s not common, yet something that was familiar to me with my family background.

When I was in year twelve, I decided I wanted to finish the year but not do the exams. My mum said that was fine but if I did that, I had to work full time. This was incredible advice and what has really set me on the right path for my career.

If you could give one piece of advice for women thinking of embarking on a career in hospitality what would that be?

‘Take the leap. Be patient. It’s not just going to come easily, it is challenging. If that’s what you really want to do, take all the advice you can get, never stop asking questions.’

This is advice I would give to anyone in the industry (not just women). To me we are equal. That’s happened in the last decade. There are so many great women in restaurants. I’ve never felt my opportunities are limited because I am female. I am not afraid to ask questions or really tell someone how I feel. It’s a very safe environment.

What’s next for you in your career and what are your long-term aspirations?

I want to learn, to take everything on board.  In my current role there is so much that can be perfected. Maybe at some point in the next two years, I’ll progress but I feel that I have already grown up a lot in the last five years and it’s ok to slow it down a bit now. I see myself staying at Gimlet, although I’d like to travel. I’d love to live and work in Paris (even though I don’t speak French). And one day, I see myself owning my own place – a little wine bar in Melbourne’s Inner North. I imagine my Dad and my step Dad helping me out with this – that would be pretty interesting… and fun.