From creating exceptional dining experiences to preparing delicious dishes behind the scenes and ensuring every guest enjoys a comfortable stay, every placement offers valuable insight into the hospitality industry.
Meet some of the young people who have completed their student work placements at The Yarrow, and find out how the feel their time at the hotel has benefited them:
Course: T Level Management and Administration
Placement Department: Various
Favourite part of my placement:
I completed the banking for the spa restaurant functions, which I really enjoyed doing and felt proud of.
The biggest thing I learnt:
I’ve definitely gained more confidence and stronger people skills, especially when dealing with customers and handling different queries.
Course: Supported Internship
Placement Department: Bar/Lounge
Favourite part of my placement: One of the best things is meeting new customers, greeting them and having conversations.
The biggest thing I learnt: I would say my confidence is the main thing. When I first came here, I was a bit shy and not fully confident, but the staff here helped me boost my confidence.
Course: Level 2 Professional Cookery
Placement Department: Kitchen
Favourite part of my placement:
It’s the people. Everyone’s really nice, everyone’s really genuine. You can have a laugh with them all the time.
The biggest thing I learnt:
I feel like it’s really given me a proper foundation on how to be in the kitchen, how to dress well, how to be good with your communication and that’s vital in the kitchen.
Course: Level 3 Hospitality Supervision and Leadership
Placement Department: Front of House
Favourite part of my placement:
I love setting up tables. I enjoy making everything look neat and symmetrical, placing the cutlery, and folding napkins—it’s really satisfying.
The biggest thing I learnt:
There’s a lot more to it than just serving food — you develop confidence, communication, and people skills. And communication is vital in the kitchen.
Course: Level 2 Beauty Therapy
Placement Department: Salon
Favourite part of my placement:
It’s close to College, and there are people there that I already know, so it felt a lot less intimidating than going somewhere completely unfamiliar.
The biggest thing I learnt:
I’ve learned proper salon techniques and gained more experience working with real clients. It’s also helped me become more organised as well because everything is run in a really professional and structured way.
Course: Level 3 Professional Cookery (Patisserie and Confectionery)
Placement Department: Front of House
Favourite part of my placement:
It’s shown me what I want to do as a career and given me the skills I need. I also enjoy the fine dining training – learning high standards that are useful across the industry.
The biggest thing I learnt:
Communication is probably the most important skill—I didn’t realise how vital it was until working in service.
Course: ESOL
Placement Department: Housekeeping
Favourite part of my placement:
I think serving customers. I just like doing that. I really enjoy coming to The Yarrow and just watching people do their work and feeling comfortable around the place.
The biggest thing I learnt:
It’s going to help me with communication with people and hospitality. And then learning how to manage time too.
Course: Level 2 Professional Cookery
Placement Department: Kitchen
Favourite part of my placement:
Working alongside professional chefs. It’s very inspiring because they’ve been through the build-up and training to get to where they are so hey know what it’s like.
The biggest thing I learnt:
I’ve definitely improved my knife skills! And I now know how to handle the pressure in the kitchen better.
Whether your ambition is to become a chef, work in front-of-house, manage events, or build a career in hospitality, student work placements at The Yarrow give you the chance to develop practical skills, build confidence, and learn from experienced professionals.
