Staff Profile: Nicole Clark

Position: Senior Waitress
Age:18
Joined the restaurant: 10 October2005 Initial job: Meeter and Greeter
Job History: I left school and came straight here. I am studying Sports Science at the College of Further Education.
I'm now thoroughly trained on all the tasks but when I work on bar I can't go a whole shift without breaking at least one glass! Ooops!

What do I like about working here? The banter between the girls especially my "right-hand man" Kim(berley) Allen.

Favourite dishes: I love our potato skins as a starter and then it's Chicken à la crème. And maybe a cheese and tomato garlic bread. You can't beat that.
Favourite holiday: Zante (Greece) with the girls. We go there every Summer and I love it.

About me: I leave College in May and I am going to take a year or so out. I may work here full time before going to University.

Krimo says: Nicole is Joey's younger sister. Born on the same day two years later, she came to Portofino when she turned sweet 16. Within weeks she could juggle with the job, fitting in with staff and customers alike. Nicole is a perfectionist. She loves Portofino so much that she spends most of hard-earned cash dining here.

Nicole, I am glad you are staying with us a lot longer than expected because you are the best tea-maker at Portofino! :o)

Staff Profile: Joey Clark

Position: Head Waitress at Portofino
Age:20
Joined the restaurant: 1st September 2004
Initial job: Waitress
Job History: None. Portofino was my first job from school.
What do I like about working here? Friendly atmosphere and staff
Favourite dishes: Chicken and Pasta
Favourite holidays: Zante and Kos (Greece), Turkey, Florida, Barcelona and Costa del Sol
Places I'd like to visit: New York, Chicago, China, Australia, Italy...
Heroes: Superman and my Mam!

About me: I love working here. I will be sad to leave when I have to fly the nest ;o(


Krimo says: Joanne, Joey, Jo-babe... has been with us for the last for four years now. She is at Uni at the moment and will be leaving us in August. She is one of those easy souls who just glide effortlessly around doing a very good job of looking after customers, training new staff, always with a smile...

Jo-babe, though your sister Nicole makes better tea than you, you are one of the rare people who cheer me up with your shiny personality and cheeky smile. Especially when you say:"I need some Mula!" Glad you explained that it was the money you needed for our Saturday shopping list. If you're anything like Katie, one of your bestest friends and one of most memorable members of staff, who's back for another stint, I am sure that we will see again well after you've left us in August... Fingers crossed!

Staff Profile: Jimmy Bailly

Position: Chef Age: 30
Joined the restaurant: July 2004
Initial job: Chef
Job History: Hostellerie des Montdeveaux France 97-99, Restaurant Le Jeanne D'arc 00-01, Portofino 01-03, Hotel Le Chamoix (Switzerland)03-04


What do I like about working here? Multi-nationalité.
Favourite dishes: All things French
Favourite holiday: France and Crete Places I'd like to visit: Japan
Heroes: The best football player in the world: Zinedine Zidane.

Krimo says: Jimmy is a rather unusual name for a Frenchman, although many Sixties French artists adopted English names, like Johnny Halliday, the old crooner...
Jimmy first worked at Portofino for a couple of years before heading back to France and a very busy hotel on the Swiss border.
He came back to the UK (Why??) to marry an English rose.... (Ahhhh!).
We offered him a position at Krimo's with Madjid and Colin. When Madjid got diagnosed with heart trouble back in December, Jimmy stepped up a gear and gave Colin the necessary help to get the restaurant through a very busy Christmas and has now begun deputising for Colin.

Jimmy, je dois te dire que sans toi il nous aurait été très difficile de maintenir la qualité de notre cuisine en l'abscence de Madjid. Je sais que ton nouveau rôle te plait beaucoup maintenant que tu as appris à nager et je te souhaite un bel avenir avec nous.

Staff Profile: Hayley

Position: Manager at Krimo's
Age: 23 going on 53
Joined the restaurant: December 2007
Job History: Seven years at McDonalds (!!!) from crew member to shift running manager.
What I like about working here: The customers. No more working with troublesome kids. Our customers are lovely.
Favourite dishes I like cooking: Eggs à la Hayley: scrambled eggs with chopped tomatoes and cheese. (Wow, Hayley! You gourmet! Watch out, Colin. She's after your job!)

Favourite dishes I like eating: Mamma's home made anything!!
Favourite holidays: Marseille, where I discovered olives (What's wrong with Asda?) and Cancun (Mexico) for the dolphins. (You had dolphin! What's wrong with tuna?)
Places I'd like to visit: Paris, London's West End for the shows and New York for the same thing.
Heroes: No heroes as yet!!
Thoughts: Just happy one with a large glass of red wine.

Krimo says: Hayley has been in our family for many years now as she was Adam's girlfriend. She's no longer that... they got engaged on the plane on their way to Cancun. So, hopefully in the next couple of years, she will become another Mrs. Bouabda.

Hayley joined Krimo's just before Christmas to become its manager. Karen took under her wing and showed her the way we do things. The lads still take the mickey out of Hayley when she shouts an order. "Is that with fries?"

Hayley is a most pleasant young lady who has fitted very well at Krimo's. Her pleasant attitude has already gained her the praise of all our regulars.

Hayley, welcome to the family!

Staff Profile: NOEL STAMP

Position: Head-Chef at Portofino
Age: 26 Joined the restaurant:28 June 1999 Initial job: Part-time Pizza Chef
Job History: Work experience at the Blue Bells while at Middlesbrough College.

What do I like about working here? Having a laugh with the lads at work. They're more like a family. I also like the satisfaction of teaching staff new things. I love cooking good food.

Favourite dishes I like cooking: Sea Bass with basil butter and roast cherry tomatoes, Tuna Loin with red pepper coulis, Goat's Cheese and Parma Bruschetta with a tomato chutney. (My girlfriend loves it!)

Favourite dishes I like eating: Tuna, Beef fillet, Goat's Cheese, Beef Carpaccio, Indian food, Sunday Dinner!

Favourite holiday: Florida, Cancun (Mexico), Zante (Greece) Places I'd like to visit: The Seychelles, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Goa, Antigua, Mount Everest...

Heroes: David Beckham, Gordon Ramsey, Sebastian Loeb

Thoughts: "If I had his money, that would make me a better chef, better looking and richer than Gordon Ramsay." "A winner never quits. A quitter never wins!"

Krimo says: Within a few short weeks of starting as a part-time pizza chef, Noel decided to give up catering college and work full time at Portofino.

A couple of years later and through a lot of hard work, Noel slotted into the head chef's shoes. It was then that the real slog began when he had to quickly grow into the role of kitchen manager while going through the pains of becoming an adult.

Nowadays, after much coaching and sparring, laughter and tears, Noel has come to accept, just like we all do, that one never stop learning.

Noel, I am proud of you even if, at times, I could throw you into the Marina.

Night Out...2008

Staff night out...

Chris and Noel (Portofino's 2nd chef and head-chef) with Colin (Krimo's head-chef) in the background at our last senior staff night out at the beginning of December.

The first two had such a good time they could not remember much of it. I believe that by the end of the night they were in firstname terms with Ernest and Julio Gallo.

Tonight is our annual staff outing.

Last year we held our Annual do at a local hotel, a fancy dress party when everyone dressed up in all sorts of hilarious outfits. I went as a Spanish bullfighter.

This year, we're going to the same hotel again. The original fancy dress theme started out as The Fifties, but I extended it to The Sixties and Seventies. If you cannot find a costume that represents one of three decades, then you might as well stay at home in your slippers.

Photos and report of the night will be appearing the next few days, if I can remember any of it.