Introducing Ellie Cundy

Ellie, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

“I’ve worked in hospitality for many years, in the UK and abroad, for five-star hotels and also on cruise ships. I am passionate about the food and beverage side of the industry and I’m very excited to start this new journey at The Kennels and become part of the Goodwood family.”

What drew you to Goodwood?

“The whole ethos of what Goodwood is about is so exciting to me. The farm-to-table journey of the food is incredible, and Goodwood has a reputation for delivering amazing customer experiences. I am really looking forward to being a part of it all.”

Where have you worked previously?

“I joined P&O Cruises in 2002 and worked on Oriana, their flagship cruiser, as Food and Beverage Services Manager. Managing the challenges of being at sea with almost 2,000 passengers, 760 staff, 13 bars and seven restaurants was quite a test and I learnt very quickly! When approaching the end of my third year at sea, I had an overwhelming desire to come back to the UK and spent a brief period at Champneys Forest Mere, finding my land legs, and then was lucky enough to join the Macdonald hotel, The Compleat Angler, as Operations Manager. It was here that I met Andrew Coggings, who was MD for the MacDonald Group at the time, and, of course, is now Entertaining & Hospitality Managing Director here at Goodwood. Andrew was a great support and mentor to me, and I am thrilled to be working with him again. From here I moved to The Randolph, the 5-star hotel in Oxford. Having interviewed at the hotel the previous year, before it burnt down, it was fantastic to finally get my chance to work here.

What are you most looking forward to at The Kennels?

“I want to try and bring a fresh approach to the role. I love looking after people – it’s just intrinsically part of who I am, and I’m excited to get to know all the members and their guests. There’s nothing more satisfying than getting it right with a regular!”