Meet Your Colleagues- Michelle McCarthy

Here at SERC we are keen to promote internal colleagues to allow staff the opportunity to get to know each other and put a face to the name, particularly due to the size and scope of SERC.  With this in mind, “Meet your Colleagues” is a fun Q and A exercise to help raise awareness of people’s roles within SERC and allows you to get to know more about your fellow colleagues.

This week’s, “Meet your Colleagues” features Michelle McCarthy. Michelle is one of the Lecturers in Hospitality Management within the School of Hospitality, Management, Tourism and Languages department at SERC. 

1. What does your role at SERC involve?  

This year my role involves teaching food service, barista and food hygiene to Level 2 students. I also have a class of Level 4 Hospitality Management students, who are the managers of the future.  

I am also very actively involved in organising charity events within the McNeill Room, which is the training kitchen in the Downpatrick campus.

2. Tell us a bit about your background?  

My father always loved cooking and he really made me love working with food too. I have worked in the catering industry from 13 years of age in my local golf club kitchen.  

I always knew I wanted to work in hospitality and joined the catering college in Newry at 16 until I was 20. Every Sunday, I used to set the table up properly and insisted I silver served the potatoes and vegetables. I cleared each course and stacked my plates, I am sure my 3 brothers and 2 sisters hated this!  

I have worked in the industry both as a chef and restaurant manager. The finest place I worked in was Dromoland Castle, a five-star hotel in County Clare. I love hospitality so much so that it never seemed like I was at work.  

I returned to FE college at 30 years of age, I had two young daughters at the time and it was tough working full-time and studying. We all used to get our books out together and they drew and coloured in whilst I did my homework.  

I studied part time for 12 years and achieved my MSC in 2008 which was a very happy day for me and my family.  

3. What 3 words best describe you?  

Chatty, happy and fun.

4. What do you like to do outside of work?

I love getting dressed up and go out for dinner and going away for weekends and taking wee breaks with my fiancé Alan. I also love just relaxing and spending time with my two daughters, shopping for clothes is one of our favourite pastimes. My oldest daughter works in Liverpool, so its great when she is home, or we go to see her.

5. If you could swap jobs for a day who would it be and why?

I was going to say an environmental heath officer as I always wanted to be one when I started studying again but now I would love to be Fred, the maître d' from First Dates on Channel 4, especially in his Italian restaurant.

6. List 3 items you would want with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?  

• Food,
• my phone and;
• my heart pendant necklace my daddy bought me, who now is in heaven. 

7.    What is your favourite film and why?

There are two films I love, the first one would be, “Pirates of the Caribbean”. My fiancé Alan loves it and I have watched it so many times now that I love them also. I also love the film, “The Quiet Man”, the 1952 romantic comedy that stars John Wayne, I love him, he is one of my favourite actors.

8.  Where do you most want to travel, but have never been?

I would love to one day travel to San Francisco to see the Golden Gate Bridge.

If you would like to partake in “Meet Your Colleagues” please contact Roisin Morgan (Marketing and Engagement Intern) at rmorgan@serc.ac.uk for more details.