Who are you, and how did you end up at Freyja?
I’m Vendela, a cheerful 22-year-old who works as a bartender. I ended up here because I was looking for growth within the restaurant industry overall. I visited Freyja privately with another bartender colleague. There, Thimmy (a cocktail lab technician) was at the bar, and we started talking about this and that. He mentioned they were looking for staff for the summer, so I gave him my email and my number since it seemed like a nice place with great energy, and I had a very positive experience. A few weeks later, I got a call from Jimmy Dymott asking about my situation, and we agreed to meet and talk. We met for a job interview, and I was lucky enough to end up here.
How did you get into the industry?
Thanks to one of my parents who has always worked in the hospitality industry, it’s always been a big part of my life. My plan was completely different after high school; I was going to study something entirely different, but decided to take a break from studying. That’s when I started working part-time as a waitress at my uncle’s place. I’ve never been particularly social, but working so closely with people really developed me. It wasn’t until I went to work for a season at a restaurant that I really started to enjoy it and felt that this was truly something for me. There, I had the opportunity to work both on the floor and behind the bar, and it was behind the bar that I remained.
Do you enjoy working at Freyja?
I really enjoy it. I’ve never been at a place that has managed to create such good dynamics among everyone, there’s an amazing atmosphere, and everything runs very smoothly. There were many days during the summer when we were incredibly busy, which was fun but also challenging at times. Days when I was low on energy could feel tough from the start, but I quickly regained that energy because we are and were an amazing team that encourages, supports, and lifts each other up when things get tough.
Finally, if you were here as a guest, what would you have eaten and drunk, and who would you have brought with you?
Well, I would either have embraced the art of enjoying my own company or brought a good friend, and started with one of our fantastic cocktails, in my case, a ‘concrete jungle’, very fresh and lovely to start with. For the appetizer, I would choose the Brussels sprouts and buckwheat chips. Then, I would have the octopus, absolutely incredible. Maybe with a glass of white wine to go with it. Last but not least, for dessert, I would order our delightful Cloudberry dessert and to that, our latest cocktail addition, Tangorabatt.
Thank you very much, Vendela!