Susmita Bomzon
Assistant Food and Beverage Manager at Taj Malabar Resort and Spa, Cochin Kerala
Q1) Can you walk us through your career journey and what led you to your current role at Taj Malabar?
I started my journey in Food and Beverage in hotels 6 years ago. I have worked with various luxury hotels like Fairmont and Raffles before I returned to India from the Middle East and joined the iconic Taj Mahal, New Delhi as the wine bar manager and sommelier. I moved to Taj Malabar Resort &Spa, Cochin as the Assistant Food and Beverage Manager.
Q2)What does a day in the life of an Assistant F&B Manager at a luxury resort look like?
Well everyday is different. It also requires a different approach from people management to business requirements. However, guest focus, elevating guest experience, team engagement and creativity and working on guest’s feedback is an important part of my day as an Assistant Food and Beverage Manager.
Q3)What are the key skills that helped you grow into a management role within the F&B space?
Perseverance, Mentorship from Industry experts, wine education such as WSET Wine level 3 and keeping up to trends are the key skills that have helped to grow into a management role.
Q4)What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in hotel F&B operations?
My advice is to keep an open eye, observe everything, always be adaptable and the possibilities are endless.
Q5)What trends are you seeing in guest preferences when it comes to dining and beverages?
I see that the world is looking for authentic experiences with healthy and sustainable, personalized and quick service when it comes to dining and beverages.
