Meet a Gamba unsung hero: Back of House Manager William Atherall
William Atherall is a Gamba unsung hero, without whom things in our top Glasgow seafood restaurant wouldn’t run half as smoothly. He’s hands-on with food prep, is responsible for the cleaning rota, and is an all-round good guy.
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But back to William, or Willie as he’s better known, who’s from Glasgow, is 40, and has been with Gamba for nine years – so he must a) enjoy it immensely and b) be very good at his job.
Fine dining Scotland: William’s life before Gamba
William’s life before Gamba included crossing paths with none other than our very own chef-patron, Derek Marshall.
Willie explained: “I worked for Derek before I joined Gamba, at Urban Grill in Glasgow’s Shawlands, again, working Back of House, for about two years. I went on to work for a few other places too, like Ingram Wynd on Ingram Street in Glasgow city centre.
“I decided to come back and work for Derek, and it was like I’d never been away, even though it was a new restaurant environment of course. We just snapped back into how we worked before and have an excellent working relationship. His is a happy ship to be part of.
“I like fished fish and seafood before I worked at Gamba, but I’ve got to be honest, more with batter on it.
“But once you start working here, you get to see another side of fish and seafood and how versatile and out of this world it is – the best seafood in Scotland is here. The scallop and monkfish dishes at Gamba are among my favourties.”
Seafood restaurant Scotland: The qualities a great Back of House Manager requires
Anyone observing William as he goes about his day can’t fail but be impressed by his strong organisational ability and attention to detail, but what does he think are the main qualities a great Back of House Manager like him requires?
“There’s always a lot going on in the kitchen. All sorts of chefs going in lots of different directions but working towards a common goal, so you need to keep your wits about you.
“You must learn to work with people and all work in harmony. My job is to do as much as I can for them to lighten their load and keep things functioning smoothly right throughout the day.”
Best seafood restaurant Scotland: A Day in the life of William
“I start roughly an hour before everybody else in the Gamba kitchen. I clear the food prep sheet and get as much underway as possible, like making sticky toffee pudding, crème brulés, and tablet, among other dishes. I can also get the prep underway for the famous Gamba fish soup, on days when it’s particularly busy.
“It’s all about teamwork. If everyone is pulling in different directions, you’re not going to get anywhere, not in this or any kitchen. We're a close-knit team, reflected in the restaurant's atmosphere, and customers also pick up on this, making their experience all the more enjoyable.“
Outside of work, William is a gym goer every now and again, but we suspect he may be downplaying this in his typically modest way because it's clear that once he puts his mind to something, he commits to it right up to the hilt.
By Jason Caddy
Gamba Back of House Manager William Atherall