Meet Filipe - General Manager at Fazenda Edinburgh

This week we went to Scotland, Fazendeiros. We met with our Portugal-born General Manager Filipe and asked him a few questions so you could get to know him a little better.

1 - Tell us your Fazenda Story

On my way to my 7th year of Fazenda it’s been a very rewarding journey of which I am extremely proud. My story with Fazenda started accidentally as it began with me joining a group of friends to play football from different hospitality venues in Manchester. Meeting some of the Fazenda team at the time was very inspiring to me and the more we met to play football and heard them talking so proudly about their work the more I wished to join that team.
I joined Fazenda Manchester in October 2016 as a floor supervisor and I found exactly what I was expecting to find: an amazing, inspiring and professional team.

From my journey in Manchester, I developed into different roles as Reception Manager, Bar Manager and Assistant Manager before moving to an exciting new opportunity that was to open Fazenda Edinburgh in a city that I always imagined to live in.

In Edinburgh, it has been a fantastic experience, from the opening to establishing ourselves as one leading restaurant in the city, needless to say it has been fantastic. I came as part of a core team that opened Fazenda Edinburgh, together we had many years of working for Fazenda and we were able to replicate that warm and welcoming environment from the start.

When we work with so many talented people you can only become better and it is for that reason that I continue to progress, because you learn everyday from the team around you. It is thanks to this amazing team that I was able to continue to develop into Deputy General Manager and then General Manager.

What is the most rewarding part of your role as General Manager?

There are many aspects of the role that are rewarding but certainly the one that brings me more joy is to be able to contribute to the team members' development and learning. I am fortunate to work alongside an amazing team with great potential. Sometimes they hold all the answers, you just need to guide them in the right direction. Certainly seeing people develop and progress is one of the most rewarding parts of my role.

What is the first thing you do when faced with a hard decision?

Step back and think about it. I like to have all the information possible before making a decision, it’s important to me to try to be as accurate as possible, being always correct is utopia but we need to aim to make the best decisions… More difficult on a Saturday night with a full and vibrant restaurant but not impossible!

Favourite thing to do/enjoy/eat/visit in the city of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh is full of history and nature. “Climbing” Arthur's seat and walking around Holyrood park has always been something that's fascinated me in Edinburgh.

Top 3 places you recommend everyone to visit in your native Portugal.

Porto, Palacio da Pena - Sintra and Douro Vinhateiro.

Favourite Fazenda Meat, Wine and Dessert.

Only one meat is a hard choice! I will have to go for Picanha, the flavours and texture are just too delicious to resist.

Wine: Mauricio Lorca Inspirado. Such a fantastic wine packed with great complexity. An all-time favourite of mine and with an amazing story to tell about the winemaker, Mauricio Lorca.

Dessert: I always have a space reserved for a dessert, the Dulce de Leche Coulant is a must at the end of a meal.

Well, we're off to plan our next trip to Portugal without a doubt; and we wholeheartedly agree with Filipe on the wine front. Do let us know if you try Mauricio Lorca Inspirado on your next visit, Fazendeiros!