Staff Profile: Elaine Reed

Position: Manager at Portofino (Also helping out at Krimo's at the moment)
Age: 36
Joined the restaurant: 13 September 1996
Initial job: Part-time Waitress
Job History: Trained as a beauty therapist but my first job was as a counter assistant at a fast food place (Funky Chicken!) Bar work at two local nightclubs (No longer in business!)

What do I like about working here? Keeps me out of trouble!! I love seeing our regulars and having a good chat with them. I enjoy working with the girls too, they make it worthwhile. The chefs can be a pain! ;o)

Favourite dishes: Potato skins and Salmon although I am partial to a Parmo after the nightclubs. Favourite holiday: Dubai is the best place I have visited so far but you never know, I'm only 36, you know... ;o)

Thoughts: I am usually too tired to think! I never thought I'd be in a job as long as I've been at Portofino. It's like part of the family now. Although if I'd thought earlier, I'd have tried harder for that company car!

Krimo says: Elaine started as a shy waitress when Krimo's was still at Seaton Carew. Then a year and a half later, she came to help me out at Portofino, liked it so much, she stayed ever since.
Together we devised management systems that ensured that the busy pizzeria was run properly and a couple years down the road we were awarded Investors in People.
Elaine looks after the day-to-day running of Portofino as well as the hard task of setting up our tried and tested procedures at Krimo's.
She is especially good at fathoming out what is wrong with our tills if no one else can balance them.
Elaine, I am very grateful you've stuck by us through thick and thin. With you around I can concentrate on more importants tasks, such as wasting time keeping this blog up to date and sneaking away for the odd holiday. Thanks.