Kickstarting Scott’s chef career path: Waiter to Head Chef

To get a feel for the Parkdean Head Chef life, we sat down with Scott Simpson who joined us over 14 years ago as a seasonal waiter at just 17! He now works at Sundrum Castle Holiday Park in Scotland, and we wanted to learn all about his chef career progression with us. But first, a bit about some cool perks of seasonal or temporary work.

Seasonal summer jobs in the holiday park industry are an exciting and exceptionally fun way to get your foot on the career ladder in hospitality. Not only do they earn you some extra summer break spending money and give you the perfect opportunity to meet new friends, but they’re also the perfect gap filler between college or university semesters.

There are a fair few benefits to seasonal or temporary jobs - they can provide the perfect space to hone in on your people skills and gain some hands-on experience in many roles, all without the sometimes-daunting idea of committing to something long-term. 

You never quite know what’s around the corner in hospitality, which is why so many seasonal recruits go on to progress and develop into a number of awesome roles at Parkdean Resorts.

Anyway, we’ll let Scott take it away!

Scott’s Chef career path

Scott's fun fact: My two kids, my daughter who is 12 and my son who is 4, absolutely rule my life and when I’m not at work or watching Rangers play football, I’m picking them up and dropping them off all over the place.

When did you first join Parkdean and why?

I’ve been with the company for 14 years now. I started when I was 17 as a seasonal waiter for some extra money. Every year I would come back to the park, working in a number of areas including the bar and eventually the kitchen. 

Since joining 14 years ago, what has your journey been like?

It was my third season with the business when I finally went into the kitchen. I enjoyed cooking at home, so I appreciated spending time between cheffing and being a bar supervisor which went on for a good three or four seasons. 

At one point I did leave to take on a full-time position in another industry, but before long I was back with the team to help them out. When the team needed a Head Chef in 2017, I applied and was offered the role, the rest is history. 

I met my partner, Nicola, during my time at Sundrum and we’re still together now (10 years later) with plans to get married soon. She was a Bar Supervisor when we first met and is now Complex Manager at the very place we met.

What do you like about being a Head Chef, and what inspired you to move up the chef career ladder?

Honestly, it was the encouragement I received from the Food and Beverage Manager at the time. We had a great working relationship and he motivated me to just go for it. 

Now I’m here, I would say it’s definitely the team that keeps me inspired and I enjoy keeping them going. There’s no banter like kitchen banter, and we’re a team of people who are just as much friends as we are colleagues. They work hard but they have a great time while doing it. I love working in the kitchen, it comes as second nature to me – although I’d definitely give up the paperwork side of things!

Why is it do you think that you stay at Parkdean

For me, it’s a park thing. We’re more like a family rather than colleagues. We all have a laugh; we sometimes even bicker but it’s what keeps me here. It’s the culture that comes with holiday park life – it’s like nothing else. The wages are also really good here, and the business ensures they are staying competitive when it comes to pay.

Any programmes/development/training you’ve been involved in?

I’ve actually very recently been made Regional Star Chef. It means I get to support other chefs in the business and help to induct brand new head chefs into the company.

Are you down for some career development? Jump into a summer job with Parkdean!

Are you wanting to earn some extra pennies this summer, or an opportunity to do something fun and meet some amazing people? Then a summer job with us might be exactly what you are looking for. 

We really care about helping our Parkdeaners shine. It might be a summer job one day, but before you know it, you’ll be rising through the ranks with the full freedom to take on new roles if you fancy. Make sure to brush up on your Head Chef interview prep too, if you’re moving up that ladder!

Take a page out of Scott’s story and check out our sizzling summer jobs at Parkdean Resorts!