When Yeshi first started Taste Tibet in Oxford’s open market, this way of life was familiar to him. Years before he had run a jewellery stand in Goa. The stall is his happy place.
I stayed as far away as possible for as long as I could. Back when I was 18 I’d worked the floor at a café inside Selfridges and found the whole experience excruciating. Mostly I was serving coffees to the ladies from the nearby Beauty department. I wore no make-up myself, and was timid, untrained and lacking in customer-facing skills.
Taste Tibet has turned these experiences around for me. Hospitality has become a passion, and I’m now an evangelist for bringing wallflowers like myself into the industry. I’ve come to understand that this is a place where – contrary to expectation – introverts can in fact thrive. I’m living proof.
Introverts often do a better job of reading the room than those who identify as people people. They give guests the confidence that they are available if they are needed, but tend not to waste customer time with inane or overbearing chat.
If you’re people-shy, get yourself out there as an education in how great the general public really are. Just choose your place of work carefully. Selfridges was a bad fit for me as someone who would never shop there to begin with. By contrast, the market or festival stall brings you different types of people one to the next, and best of all – there’s a counter between you.
Over the Glastonbury weekend, Taste Tibet also catered at the Magdalen College Commemoration Ball here in Oxford. This made me think about the many events that I did not glam up for when I was a student at Cambridge. I went to lots of balls, but only ever in a glass-collecting capacity. Serving others turns out to be the perfect job for those who are curious about the party, but need a reason to attend.
At Taste Tibet, we love our staff and we embrace the challenge that is bringing the best out in each of them. Ideally there is growth on both sides all of the time.
This summer we’re losing some of our best-loved team members. Their time in Oxford is coming to an end, and we’re on the lookout for amazing new front-of-house peeps. Would you like to join the team? Please get in touch if you or someone you know is interested. Wallflowers are welcome.
Meanwhile, thank you so much to everyone who joined us last week for our reopening. This Wednesday we resume normal working hours, as follows:
Thursday: 5-9.30pm (dinner only)
Friday – Saturday: 12-3 (lunch) / 5-9.30pm (dinner)
This week’s menu is out – check it! You can dine with us or take away. Don’t forget our freezer food too – we have good stocks of most curries, but please note that during festival season we are a bit low on momos. Taste Tibet chilli oil and hot pickle are behind the counter, and signed cookbooks are always in stock.
Looking forward to seeing you,
Julie and Yeshi
Opening hours this week:
Weds: 5-9.30pm
Thurs – Sat: 12-3pm 🥢 5-9.30pm
☏ 01865 499318
Are you loving the Taste Tibet cookbook? Don’t forget to leave us a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
