Alison Hayes

Alison Hayes made the sea change to the beautiful South Coast with her husband in 2016, after becoming disillusioned with the corporate world. After 8 years in HR, she found herself going full-circle and returning to her hospitality roots, where she had spent almost a decade working in everything from fine-dining to large bars and pubs. She now runs The Garden in Berry and employs anywhere up to 40 people at any point in time. As an employer in an industry notorious for poor conditions, underpayment and high turnover,  she’s passionate about educating employees on their rights and value, creating a positive work culture and providing mentoring and career growth.

“Hospitality is unfortunately often viewed as only a stepping stone and disappointingly, can be looked down upon. If we want this to change, we need to be the change. The South Coast Centre of Excellence is an exciting first step in that direction and I am very happy to be involved.”