Outside the Box: Claire Stenhouse - Restaurant Manager

Joining us from the other side of the world, our newest member of the management team here at Attica is the delightful Claire.

Claire has been slowly making her way towards Australia for the past dozen or so years, working in restaurants in the UK, Dubai, Europe and Hong Kong. And now she is finally here and making big changes in our lucky little business. Claire brings with her a warmth and compassion that is rare, and a vast thirst for knowledge that keeps everyone here on their toes (in the best possible way!).

Below, Claire shares with us stories of her arrival in Australia, her first shift at Attica and her hopes for the future.

Tell us how you came to be at Attica?

 I was recruited while I was in London to work for a large fine-dining establishment in Melbourne, with a view – based on some studies I had done that year – to building a practical training academy to produce the next generation of leaders. It was going well, but after about a year, the company restructured its focus for the future, rendering my role redundant. At the same time, Attica was looking for a restaurant manager, which seems very serendipitous. I had a few different offers I was exploring, but after meeting Kylie, I was compelled by her warmth, authenticity and kindness. This was then reaffirmed when I met Ben and I went with my gut instinct to join the team.

What was your first shift like?

I remember feeling very warmly welcomed by everyone. I probably got in the way most of the evening and broke a lot of unwritten rules around the dining room, but the team was very supportive and kind to me. They had a really encouraging optimism. One thing that stands out from that first shift was how happy all the guests were to be there. There was no air of arrogance or unmet expectations, because we were confidently going to show them something they couldn’t expect. The service we gave to the guests and the gracious way it was received, with jovial engagement, gave me a lot of encouragement that this would be good soup for the soul. I was right.

What do you think is special or unique about dining in Melbourne?

Well, I suppose in opposition to a lot of the rest of Australia, it offers more of a spectrum, and a closer authenticity to European cuisine and dining styles.

There’s a buzz within the workforce of people excited to visit different kinds of restaurants and see something other than what they might be used to – more than just steak and chips or chicken Parma. People are curious here about culture and the love language that is food. What’s exciting about that is that it feels like it’s only at the beginning of what can be achieved by that curiosity.

What is your favourite thing about leading the front-of-house team?

Of all the places around the world that I’ve worked and the capacity my role required of me, Attica offers a care towards humans building their own routine around work, one that fosters their right to rest, play and, ultimately, work with elite productivity. I am given the right amount of autonomy to facilitate this for the front-of-house team also; watching their individual strengths and weaknesses develop while they synergise and collaborate to help each other is wonderful. I love seeing their surprise as I ask for input and their recognition as I provide insight.

 In my younger years, I used to flourish when I could watch the guests delighting in real time in their experience and the food and service we were giving. Now, as I calm my ego and feel at peace with what I have to offer, I feel this same flourish as I watch my experience affect the individuals in front of me who will one day lead the next generation in this wonderful dynamic industry.

I know you really value learning and self-improvement – what are you currently learning outside of work? 

I have certainly unlocked a part of myself that has fallen in love with learning and development, which occurred during my studies of andragogy and organisational psychology. Since I’ve realised that living an authentic considered life includes tapping in to all the opportunities of learning around you, I decided to choose a few things that I wanted to learn.

 I started playing violin in September and I can already play three songs (above all the nursery rhymes in the learning book) and my violin teacher gives me very encouraging feedback. I love to play, even if I’m not a virtuoso; I’m constantly trying and I am able to see the slow progression with self-compassion.

I’m also learning Italian for half an hour each morning and night on Duolingo and hope to invite an Italian person into my life here so I may practise. I have also rejoined a boxing gym to dust off my Muay Thai skills and see how they go with regular western boxing. So far, the muscles hurt but no pain, no gain.

 More than that, psychology, behavioural economics and neuroscience continue to be a huge interest, if not a passion, of mine, and so I voraciously read books on the topic and hope, once I’m a little more settled here, to embark on a part-time psychology master’s online.

What are you looking forward to in 2024?

So many things, including not knowing what’s to come. I am looking forward to the bigger broader ideas I can work on with Kylie and Ben that may affect the industry here positively on a wide scale – such as creating a forum or a conference where the industry can come together to share their experience, their lessons, their perspective and their achievements without tall poppies being cut down. There’s so much space for this here and it excites me to think what is possible.

I look forward to branching out and connecting with different people through organised events or collaborations with Attica and to the slow improvements and connectedness I may be able to harbour within our team here in service.

On a personal level, I am naturally a very adventurous person and so I have a future holiday to look forward to – I’m thinking it might be time to venture to the Americas. I look forward to hopefully applying for permanent residency and to fulfil that childhood dream of rescuing a puppy.

 Mostly, I hope to join communities of my own through my interests. I hope to build real genuine friendships with people here that will last and help me, after a decade of travelling, to grow roots.

Get a taste of Claire's skills in action by visiting us.