The rise from waiter to general manager

Young, trendy general managers are not hard to come by in the restaurant business, but finding passion, determination and endurance all rolled into one is a recipe for success.

One such GM, Lukas Laubscher, now has The Crab at Chieveley as his oyster.

The Crab at Chieveley in Newbury Berkshire, UK, an award-winning seafood restaurant with oceans of charm and a boutique hotel serving the freshest fish and seafood from shores in Newlyn, Brixham and Looe, specializes in huge, succulent Alaskan crabs!

Lukas started his career as a humble waiter in a franchise steakhouse in South Africa and his single-minded determination to jump the career ladder had him bounding into management within a year.

As operational manager he oversaw a huge brigade of staff and forged the way in kiddie entertainment when The Spur Steakhouse became the first to offer a variety of ways to keep little ones happy while their parents indulged in meaty pastimes.

Ignoring the fact that steakhouses were a highly competitive market and even tougher to make a mark, Lukas continued to develop restaurant-friendly play areas, fun parks and family events before hooking a career catch by joining a start up seafood restaurant, Catch 22.

Starting from scratch, literally bricks and mortar, Lukas steamed his way through a new learning curve and enhanced his knowledge and enthusiasm for “Fruits De Mer.”

Eventually the lure of expanding his skills landed him at Donnington Valley Hotel and Spa in Newbury as food and beverage services manager, responsible for F&B between 2005 and 2007.

Lukas’ team building skills soon had him promoted to acting deputy manager of a large four-star hotel that achieved many awards including the American Airline Hotel of the Year.

Needless to say, many competitive eyes were watching Lukas and he was soon fished out and caught in The Crab at Chieveley’s net. Steve Hughes, new owner of The Crab, head hunted Lukas like a fishing trawler hunts crabs.

The challenge for Lukas now is to continue to build on The Crab’s vast array of unique experiences. His overall brief requires him to further elevate The Crab’s commercial success with style and imagination.

His agenda includes working with Head Chef Jamie Hodson to refine an extremely successful and diverse menu, growing a restaurant that is already celebrated, constant training and development for a highly praised team and expanding the boutique guest rooms.

The constant praise for the quality of service, attention to detail, staff’s enthusiasm and exceptional conduct is a direct reflection on Lukas’ strength to build a dedicated team.

The team at The Crab is of an outstanding pedigree with many of the key staff having worked with Michelin-starred chefs. Lukas says: “The Crab is unique and a very attractive and exciting opportunity for me!”

The Crab is also renowned for its hotel rooms, some of which proudly flaunt their own private hot tub gardens. Each room reflects individual themes of famous rooms from around the world and features authentic decor in luxury and decadence.

In a ‘crab shell,’ The Crab’s unique features, its delectable seafood and exotic rooms with candlelit hot tubs, make a potent combination for a trendy general manager. Without a doubt, The Crab at Chieveley is Lukas’ oyster!

For more information on The Crab at Chieveley, browse http://www.crabatchieveley.com or email Paula Wynne