In August 2025, Cutler’s Restaurant Manager, Caitlin Baker, was awarded the 2025 Tranche Scholarship. In July 2026, she set off on her scholarship trip, travelling to the UK for a series of stages and coaching sessions with some of the country’s best hospitality names. Now back on the floor at Cutler, she shares what she saw, who she met, and what she’s bringing home to Gertrude Street.
Written by Caitlin Baker, Cutler Restaurant Manager and founder of Venus Vinifera, a not-for-profit improving education and opportunities for women in hospitality.
It all started when an old team member of mine sent me the Tranche Scholarship post on Instagram, with a message along the lines of, ‘I loved working for you, you really should throw your hat in the ring.’ I hadn’t seriously considered applying before, but I could see a need in our industry to reconnect in a way that would fuel us into the future, especially when it comes to building sustainable, long-term careers in hospitality. That’s what I want most, for myself and for my team. So I thought, why not?
I’ve spent 12 years in restaurants, and the thing I care about most is the people who make them. Great hospitality depends on great teams: people who feel supported, who are growing, and who can see a future for themselves. I also believe the best restaurants should be looking after the world around them, from the produce on the plate to the way we reduce waste. I wanted to see what others around the world were doing to tackle these challenges, and to work out what impact I could have right here at home.
So in July, I flew to the UK for a series of stages, coaching sessions and conversations with some of the best hospitality groups around. And, of course, to eat a lot of great food. I started with JKS Restaurants in London, spending time with their Head of Sustainability, Holly Letch, and their Training and Development Manager, Lauren Polson, before finishing with a stage at their Indian restaurant, Bibi. Next, I headed to Somerset to stage at Osip, a one-Michelin-star, farm-to-table restaurant. Finally, I returned to London for a coaching and leadership session with Madeleine Geach of The Good Life Coaching. Here’s a little of what I learnt.
Holly Letch: sustainability starts small
Holly may be one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. In her eyes, a sustainable restaurant looks after the planet but also the people who work there, and neither works unless everyone is on board. That takes trust, good communication and a team that genuinely understands the goal.
The way she makes it happen is refreshingly practical. Rather than one big overhaul, she breaks every goal into small, achievable steps, whether that’s cutting food waste, using less energy or reducing a venue’s footprint, then hands them to the team in each restaurant to run it. People feel a sense of ownership, so they get behind it.
My takeaway: start small and give the team ownership.
Lauren Polson: everyone is at a different stage of life
The same thinking shapes how JKS looks after its people. Lauren’s approach to developing people starts with simply getting to know them: what they love, where they want to go, and what’s happening in their lives outside work. Someone juggling study may need different support from someone who’s raising a family, and a team that makes room for that is a team people thrive in.
My takeaway: meet people where they are.
I finished my time with JKS on the floor at Bibi, their fine-dining Indian restaurant . After days of big-picture conversations, it was the perfect way to round out my experience. I took that time to reflect on staff culture, team confidence and diversity. The team at Bibi and their love for what they do reminded me of why I chose to work in this industry in the first place.
I was lucky enough to spend a week with the team at Osip, a one-Michelin-star restaurant in the Somerset countryside, and it was an amazing reminder of guest-first hospitality. So much care goes into the food and produce, which is the core of who they are as a restaurant, yet everything comes back to the guest experience.
Osip really lives by “one team, one dream”, and it was beautiful to see how they operate in unity, with real energy, warmth and kindness. I also came away reminded that less is often more. Know what you’re showcasing, whether it’s a single ingredient or a moment in the season, and make sure everything comes back to it.
My takeaway: when the whole team shares the same mission, and the guest is at the heart of it, hospitality is at its most special.
Madeleine Geach, The Good Life Coaching
Back in London, I met with Madeleine Geach of The Good Life Coaching, a leadership coach who specialises in hospitality. We spent a morning talking about confidence, impact and how to overcome imposter syndrome.
When you step into a leadership role in hospitality, there are skills you might never have thought about while you were on the floor, like commanding a room, speaking in public or on a panel, and carrying a presence that goes beyond your experience. Talking to Madeleine and coming away with practical tools for those bigger moments was so exciting. She reminded me that everyone feels fear, that different things make different people nervous, and that preparation, and asking for what you need ahead of time, makes all the difference. This is something I’m already bringing into my work at Cutler and Venus Vinifera, and something I want to pass on to the leaders coming up behind me.
My takeaway: confidence benefits you in and out of service, so seek out mentors that can help you build it.
Bringing it home
I came home with a stronger belief that small changes, made consistently, are what shape a restaurant and the people in it.
At Cutler, that means looking at where we can reduce waste and tread more lightly, and making sure the whole team is part of that. It means continuing to build a culture where everyone feels supported and empowered to do their best work, and helping our managers lead that way too. My goal is to keep setting people up for success.
I’m humbled to have been recognised by the 2025 Tranche Scholarship this way. I love hospitality, and I can’t wait to help shape the next generation of leaders in our industry.
