6 minute read
Staff Training and Townhall
Congratulations Kenn! On the 27 November 2019, Kenn attended his graduation ceremony upon the completion of his Food & Beverage Management Diploma course at SHATEC. On behalf of the Club, our Head of Human Resource, Ms Alice Tang, and Bar Manager, Ms Mary Jane Cadelina, attended his graduation ceremony.
“I would like to thank the Club, Mr Ananda Kumar and GM for this opportunity by providing me with a sponsorship to pursue my studies. I felt really proud, happy and excited as I went up the stage to collect my certificate. I hope to apply the knowledge I’ve gained at SHATEC to serve our Members better and also to share what I’ve learnt with my fellow colleagues.”
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– Kenn Lee
“Train the Trainer” Programme by Milton Monterio Conducted to further develop the skills and service level of our F&B staff, “Train the Trainer” also opened doors to in-house training sessions. Besides improving on their professionalism, communication, and presentation skills, participants were also taught how to train others.
30 Years of Service
Long Service Award
Judy Ting Head of Property and Housekeeping
Lian Siew Keow Kitchen Assistant, Oval Kitchen
10 Years of Service
Koh Kwee Seng Head Chef, Oval Kitchen
Suzie Chan Senior Human Resource Executive
Townhall, 11 December 2019 Staff Commendations The Padang Kesavadass P. Chandran, Banquet Operations Supervisor Marco Chai, Senior Captain Owen Tean, F&B Supervisor Jacob Geng, Captain Tristan Cha, Restaurant Manager
Victoria Room Leong Weng Chun, Senior Captain Xia Xue, Senior Captain
Membership Department Serene Chew, Senior Membership Executive
F&B Kitchen Chef Vik, Chef De Cuisine
The Main Lounge / Stumps Bar Marimuthu, Bar Supervisor George Alexander, Captain The Oval Jeffrey Ng, F&B Supervisor Mohd Alias, Assistant Restaurant Manager Ahmad Bin Salim, Senior Waiter Perreras Jennifer Trinidad, F&B Supervisor Tan Kuan Chye, Assistant Restaurant Manager Anni, F&B Trainee Rumaizi Adha Bin Mokhtar, Captain Shang Linbin, Waitress
Operations Department Becky Xu, Assistant Catering Sales Manager Jasmine Tan, Catering Sales Manager
Sports Department Wendy Foo, Sports Manager Ken Ang, Senior Sports Executive
4th Quarter Outstanding Employee Recognition Award 2019
A SCC Member’s Review: VISIT TO KELVIN GROVE CLUB ON 4 OCTOBER 2019 – By Gerard Ong
Nestled in the leafy up-market suburb of Newlands in Cape Town, is the grand old club of Kelvin Grove, the largest sports and social club in South Africa. Located at 144 Campground Road, it took us a 20-minute Uber ride from the centre of Cape Town city centre to the club. Started in 1925 originally as the Western Province Sports club, it was renamed Kelvin Grove Club in 1934 and has approximately 7,000 members today.
We disembarked at the club’s grand entrance after the usual security checks at the entrance. After producing our letter of introduction, and signing in at the lobby, we were invited to make use of all the club’s facilities by the club’s friendly and welcoming staff.
The main aim of the short visit was to watch the live telecast of the Springbok versus Italy rugby game at the club, have lunch and later adjourn for some coffee at one of the club’s F&B outlets before making our way to the airport.
From the moment we walked into the impressive lobby, we were filled with the old-world ambience of the club. From the elegant floor tiles to the fine glass doors, the club provides you with a warm welcome to a by-gone era of old South Africa. The wood panelled corridors into the interior of the club leads you to another grand lounge hall with classic chandeliers and furniture of another grand era. Located next to the grand lounge hall is the enclosed formal dining area offering a western menu. To the side of the grand hall is an open-plan sushi bar which offers an oriental lunch and dinner menu. When told that the game was being screened in the Pool Bar located next to the pool deck outside, we decided to make our way there.
We stepped out into the pool deck area from a side door of the grand lounge area and walked 50 metres to the Pool Bar which was now filled with a boisterous and jolly group of South Africans of both sexes, most of whom were wearing the Springbok rugby jerseys waiting for the game to begin. The Pool Bar reminded me very much of the SCC’s Men’s Bar with its circular bar counter, well-stocked beverages, framed pictures of sporting teams, and trophies. What caught my eye was its convivial atmosphere and club camaraderie. What surprised me most were the bar prices. A gin tonic and a pint of Castle lager costed us all of S$6.
After the first half of the game we took in a quick lunch at the sushi bar where we were served some oriental tapas. We had a friendly banter with the head waiter and chef who, when they found out we were from Singapore, kindly provided us with a special dish of vegetable tempura. This made our welcome extra special.
We later made our way to the Coffee Shop where we continued to watch the second half of the rugby game in the cosy comfort of the F&B eatery. We were pleasantly surprised to see many older couples watching the game over coffee and cakes. Perhaps unlike the younger drinking crowd at the Pool Bar, the older club members preferred to watch the game over a quieter cup of coffee with their partners. In SCC’s premises, one usually finds single male members watching sporting matches on TV but over at Kelvin Grove, there were equal numbers of men and women both at the Pool Bar and the Coffee Shop watching the game. I suspect it is because the Springboks were playing and rugby is akin to religion in South Africa.
After coffee we took a walk outside the club to take in the extensive layout and facilities of the club. There was a family restaurant called the Barn located in a separate building close to the entrance of the club. Besides a swimming pool, the club boasts two lawn bowling greens, its own cricket & rugby fields, tennis & squash courts, and a fully-equipped fitness centre.
Although we spent only four hours at the club, we felt very welcomed at all times. Club members were generally friendly and warm. The wait staff also provided us with excellent service. It was a pity we did not spend more time at Kelvin Grove and were unable to take a full tour of the club’s grounds and facilities.
Kelvin Grove is definitely a premier sports club in Cape Town well worth visiting the next time you make a trip to South Africa. The club’s location is ideal as it is a short drive from Cape Town city, and a short hop to the airport. For those who want to make more extensive use of the club’s facilities over a longer span of time in Cape Town, there are numerous options for accommodation such as guest houses and hotels located close to the club. I would strongly recommend our members make full use of the reciprocity of Kelvin Grove, visit the club, and enjoy the club’s facilities which are not restricted to non-resident members the next time they visit Cape Town.
