Sophie struggled at school, finding that her neurodiversity made learning difficult. Autism gives Sophie a unique way of viewing the world, and she has been able to recognise that this has given her superpowers – both in terms of her attention to detail and her ability to predict what customers want by watching their body language. Sophie started working at the award winning “Tolly” on the floor to earn some extra money, but taken under the wing of NITAs 2023 Winner, Flo Pearce, and after watching a podcast on the BII workforce channel, she was encouraged to use an apprenticeship to develop her hospitality career. Sophie’s mum talked about the challenges that she faced in navigating social environments, and how the apprenticeship and her time at the Tolly have given her structure, purpose and a sense of belonging, whilst hospitality celebrates her differences rather than seeing them as a disadvantage. Sophie feels that the Tolly also shares the same values as her, with an emphasis on sustainability and working with local suppliers and creating welcoming spaces for all guests – things that are important to her personally.
