Meet Sebastian Grøn Norup

28-year-old Sebastian Grøn Norup is a waiter trainee at Haraldskær Sinatur Hotel & Conference. Already at the age of 15, the Vejlenser was employed as a dishwasher. The job in the dishwasher was later replaced with a job as a reserve waiter, before Sebastian Grøn Norup began his training as a waiter in 2016. He has not regretted that choice.

Why did you choose to train as a waiter?

"I love working as a waiter, and it was quite natural to take the step from being a reserve waiter to training to be a real waiter. Because the education gives me a great insight into food and wine, and it teaches me to put the right wines with the food and present the menu to our guests. To the core, I love to give guests good service and an unforgettable experience."

What are your tasks?

"Together with the chefs, I arrange the food on the buffet, and of course I help serve our conference guests, parties and couples and friends. I present the food and wines to our guests and tell the good stories about the ingredients from our local producers and the wines from the European wineries. The good stories help to complete the experience as a guest, and I like to work in a place that values it so highly. I'm involved in a lot of things. For example, I help order goods, just as I am out with our suppliers to choose new variants for our range. For example, it can be the purchase of new beers or new spirits."

Why do you recommend the programme to others?

"If you have a great service gene and are passionate about providing a good service, the job as a waiter is obvious. It's a fun job, and it's not just about serving potatoes and pouring wine. It's also about being a good salesperson and making additional sales.

The training as a waiter opens a lot of doors. You can continue your studies to become a sommelier and gain even greater knowledge about wine. If you get tired of being in the waiter profession, your service gene and your knowledge of wine and food are sought-after qualities in many other jobs. For example, in a job as a salesman, as a manager at a restaurant or as a self-employed person with his own wine shop."

Why choose Sinatur Hotel & Konference as a trainee?

"Sinatur Hotel & Konference is a lovely place with good colleagues. You will quickly be given a great deal of responsibility in a young team, where we help each other. There is room to experiment, and you are listened to when you have ideas. You really feel that you are helping to make a difference.

During my apprenticeship, we students have had a lot of good experiences together across all six conference hotels. We have been out to eat at some really luxury places and visited a lot of exciting suppliers. In February, we organize a Student Evening, where we are responsible for everything. It's a wild evening where we really get to test our talents."

What do you dream of?

"Right now, I dream of staying at Haraldskær. It is a fantastic workplace with good colleagues and lovely guests. My wife and I are looking at a house in Skibet near Vejle, which borders the conference hotel. Our future is in Skibet, and I look forward to continuing my career at Haraldskær when my apprenticeship is completed.