Jed Miller
MA Hospitality Services Apprentice, The Douneside Hotel, Aboyne
1. Tell us which hotel you’re working in, what your role is, and what a typical day looks like for you.
I’m currently working at Douneside House as part of my MA Hospitality Services apprenticeship. I’ve had the opportunity to rotate through several departments, including Food & Beverage, Housekeeping, and a six-month period at our Health Club, which is mainly a reception role but also includes cleaning and maintenance responsibilities.
Right now, I’m spending most of my time in the kitchen, where my duties are split roughly 50/50 between Kitchen Porter work and the Larder section. Although I work across different departments, this is always on separate shifts—not within the same day.
My working day can vary depending on the department I’m scheduled into, but that variety is something I’ve really enjoyed. It’s helped me understand how each part of the hotel operates and how all the departments work together to deliver the guest experience Douneside is known for.
2. How long have you been on your apprenticeship, and how do you feel you’ve progressed since starting?
I started my apprenticeship in June 2024, and I’ve been part of the Douneside team since April 15th, 2024. In that time, I feel I’ve progressed hugely, and a lot of that is down to the support, training, and opportunities I’ve had across the hotel.
By rotating through different departments, I’ve gained a really broad skill set—not just operational skills, but a deeper understanding of how a high-quality hotel functions. I’ve developed strong communication skills, better time and resource management, and hands-on experience with event planning and even running events. Being trusted with responsibilities like complaint handling, marketing to guests, and understanding departmental budgets has given me real confidence and insight into the bigger picture of hospitality.
Douneside has also invested in my technical training. I’ve built solid foundations in food hygiene, health and safety, knife handling, COSHH, and I’ve achieved my poolside responder qualification through my time at the Health Club.
Overall, the hotel has given me the chance to learn from experienced staff in every department, and that’s helped me grow into a much more capable and well-rounded hospitality professional. I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made so far.
3. What has been your biggest highlight or proudest moment so far, and why did it stand out to you?
My proudest moment wasn’t a traditional highlight, but it was a situation that really showed me the importance of responsibility and high standards within hospitality. While working at the Health Club, I raised a safeguarding concern involving a child in relation to our age-restricted spa facilities. Our policies are in place to protect guests and the hotel, and when I realised the rules had been informally bypassed, I felt it was important to speak up.
I handled the situation professionally—staying polite with the guest, explaining the policy clearly, and making sure the matter was brought to management so it could be resolved properly. The hotel acted quickly once the issue was raised, which reinforced to me how seriously Douneside takes guest safety and staff concerns.
Even though it wasn’t an easy moment, I’m proud that I didn’t ignore something that could have put a guest or the hotel at risk. It taught me a lot about integrity, responsibility, and the trust the hotel places in us as staff members.
Alongside that, some of my biggest positive highlights have been working with an exceptional team, learning from experienced colleagues, and discovering the level of pride and professionalism that Douneside encourages in everything we do.
