Simon Mercier, the general manager of The White Horse Hotel, began his career with a landscape gardening apprenticeship. He didn't enjoy the outdoor work, and when in a bar socialising one night he realised he'd rather have a career that allowed him to be more social. He saw an apprenticeship at a bar/restaurant advertised and went for it, and ended up working for them for two years.

While there, he became involved in the kitchen, front of house and marketing of the business. Even though he enjoyed it, he had trouble thinking of hospitality as a "real career." Simon tried a whole lot of different things and stayed in real estate for a while, when whilst out working one day, he ran into an ex-hospitality industry colleague who had just purchased his own restaurant, and decided that hospitality is what he should have been doing the entire time.

Simon ran a few clubs in Cairns and Papua New Guinea before arriving in Sydney, where he met and got along with one of the owners of The White Horse. He's been there now for thirteen months. He's passionate about the industry and the venue, and believes there are many opportunities for young people to get involved.

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