IN THE SPOTLIGHT – Sasha Cooper

MEET SASHA, GENERAL MANAGER AT THE SEVEN STARS. SHE JOINED US 6 YEARS AGO AND WITH HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION HAS MADE HER WAY UP THE RANKS AND HAS DESERVEDLY BEEN HANDED THE REINS OF THIS BUSY RESTAURANT NEAR STAFFORD AND CANNOCK. WHEN NOT CALLING THE SHOTS AT WORK SASHA LOVES NOTHING MORE THAN USING HER NATURAL TALENT FOR INTERIOR DESIGN TO REVITALISE HER HOUSE.

Sasha’s love for food started from a young age when she used to help her mum and dad in the kitchen at home or help set up for a family event or barbecue.

“We always made sure the kitchen was the heart of the home. I used to love setting the dinner table or washing the veg and helping get everything ready for family parties made me feel like I was being the perfect host. So, when it came to looking my first job, working in a restaurant where I can continue to do the thing I loved made perfect sense”

Sasha’s Parogon Journey started in April 2016, as a Runner at The Wayfarer. Being her very first job she was extremely nervous going in to such a busy environment, but she soon fell in love with the buzz and atmosphere that comes with a busy restaurant.

“It was quite intimidating being a 17-year-old starting my first job in a busy restaurant. Working with so many different characters and personalities can be scary, but everyone was so welcoming and being part of a team was amazing. The buzz of a busy restaurant soon became very addictive and along with the satisfaction that came from seeing happy guests have a great time I knew that hospitality was the career I wanted”

After 2 years of working hard, developing her skills and gradually working her way up the ranks, Sasha became a Senior Assistant Manager, at the age of 19. To help further her development even more she moved over to another Parogon venue the Blockhouse in 2019, which is where she realised the importance of building  rapport with guests.

“The Blockhouse was very different to the Wayfarer. It’s situated in a popular village and with part of the Blockhouse having a bit more of a pub vibe it was regularly filled with locals from the community. This is when I realised the importance of rapport building because the locals felt a connection to the venue and were genuinely interested in getting to know me”

It was not long after joining the Blockhouse team that everyone was plunged into uncertainty with the emergence of Covid-19 so the enjoyable time that Sasha was having at the Blockhouse ended abruptly. After the lockdowns Sasha transferred to the Seven Stars and it was here where she worked her way up to her current role as General Manager.

“I was over the moon to be given the General Manager opportunity and the support I have had from the team around me has been great. It’s safe to say I really feel at home at the Seven Stars and I can honestly say I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else to work. We really are like one big family unit and I love coming to work. I am super proud of everyone who works there, the knowledge within the team is next to non and I’ve never met a more hard-working group of people”

It’s not all about work though and Sasha lists interior design as a hobby she loves to spend time on. During lockdown she bought a house with her partner, and she loved nothing more than spending days designing the house from a blank canvas and setting up mood boards and meeting with the contractors was great fun. From bright vibes upstairs, to a cosy living room, she loved it!  

The future is bright for Sasha, and she is looking forward to continuing the success of the Seven Stars under her watchful eye.