Meet Alvin! His story on becoming a hospitality superstar!

Alvin is a 2021 graduate of the Bachelor of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Management who is currently working as the Food & Beverage Supervisor at Shining Peak Brewing in New Plymouth.

My time at PIHMS was an amazing “one of a kind” experience, which I will always look back on fondly.

At PIHMS I learned not only the academic side of Hotel and Hospitality Industry, but also the essential skills to jump into the industry. The practical side of the degree starts off with the Food and Beverage Operations, Front Office and Housekeeping Operations and finishes off with the Duty Manager and leadership roles.  

As a part of the course, I had the pleasure of doing my industry placements at Crowne Plaza Auckland, owned by IHG Hotels and Resorts, which is one of the biggest hotel chains in the world and got the chance to work with some of the best hoteliers in the world. I was lucky enough to cross-train and work in three departments on my second placement (F&B, front office, and concierge).

The bonus of going to PIHMS, is creating those “lifetime” friendships and vast work connections throughout the world.

The start of something amazing!

I started as a part-time employee at a microbrewery and restaurant called Shining Peak Brewing in New Plymouth while I was completing my final year of the bachelor’s degree and went full-time after I graduated. With the training and mentorship from the lecturers at PIHMS, I got promoted as a supervisor after six months of my full-time contract. My key responsibilities of being a supervisor is to ensure efficient and effective customer service, administration work and stocktaking. I recently created three cocktails that went on the autumn menu, a must try when you come in! I also got the opportunity to work as a Food and Beverage Service Manager at Novotel New Plymouth for a short period of time and I am currently a staff manager at a private catering company called L’épicure. 

I chose the Hotel and Hospitality Industry, as I aim to travel the world, and the training I received from PIHMS will definitely help me to do that. My passion for food and beverage has brought me to this point of my career and eventually, I am planning to do culinary arts and become a flight attendant. I love the Hotel and Hospitality Industry as it has always been my passion to meet new people with different backgrounds, everyone has interesting stories to share every day! It also gives me a lot of pleasure when people are happy with the customer service the team provides and they leave the restaurant happy and wanting to come back!