Experience
Employment
Hotelschool The Hague — Managing an Outlet (Head Chef, Hot Section)
2023
Led the hot section for 10 weeks. Responsible for planning and executing lunch service for 60 guests, five days a week. Designed menus, calculated costs, and worked within a fixed budget. Coordinated the kitchen team and ensured quality, consistency, and timing. This role strengthened my leadership, planning, and operational skills.
Le Début, Amsterdam — Fine Dining Chef Training
2022
Completed a one-week fine dining training at the Hotelschool restaurant. Focused on technique, precision, and execution at a high level. Learned how structure and discipline support creativity in a professional kitchen.
Ambassade Hotel, Amsterdam — F&B Manager Intern
2021 – 2022
Six-month internship covering an F&B management internship. Developed a strong foundation in operating and management standards. Mentored by the sommelier through daily blind tastings, which sparked a deep interest in wine. Learned precision and excellence in service under the F&B Manager, and everything about perfection in operations.
Boutique Hotel, Mahahual, Mexico — All-Round Hospitality Role
Gap Year, 2020
Lived and worked at a boutique hotel on the Mexican coast. Handled both front- and back-of-house tasks in a highly personal environment. Immersed in the local gastronomy, learning to spearfish and prepare ceviche with local families — an experience that deepened my respect for culture, nature, and fresh ingredients.
Ski Instructor — Anwärter Certificate (Austria)
2020
Completed the official Anwärter ski teaching course during my gap year, earning certification as a ski instructor. Developed teaching and leadership skills by guiding groups of varying ages and levels. Learned adaptability, patience, and how to create a safe, enjoyable learning environment — qualities directly transferable to hospitality and guest experience.
Independent Chef — Via Ons, Amsterdam
2020 – 2024
Worked as an independent chef in various restaurants across Amsterdam. Adapted quickly to different teams, concepts, and kitchen structures. Built resilience and learned to deliver consistent quality in changing environments.
Supplier – Tring Tring / Jan van As, Amsterdam — Hospitality Supply Chain
2018 – 2019
Worked in food distribution for hospitality clients. Gained insight into sourcing, logistics, and the importance of reliable suppliers in restaurant operations.
Burger Bar & Thrill Grill, Amsterdam — Kitchen & Service → Kitchen Lead
2016 – 2018
Started in service and progressed into the kitchen. Promoted to kitchen lead within five months. Learned responsibility, teamwork, and how to perform under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
Name: Sil van Gorkum
Date of Birth: 20/02/2003
Age:22
Place of Birth: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Nationality: Dutch
Languages: Dutch (native), English (fluent), Currently studying Spanish on the side
Current Residence: Amsterdam, NL
Le Jardin de Grand-Mère
Fine Dining Event — Hotelschool The Hague
During my Managing an Outlet course at Hotelschool, I was responsible for designing and executing a hospitality event within strict constraints. The challenge included a total budget of €10 per guest, recipe costs capped at €7, a 70/30 cost structure, fully seasonal and locally sourced vegetarian ingredients, and a complete operational plan covering sales forecast, mise-en-place, allergens, waste, and service flow.
Rather than choosing a simple concept, I deliberately challenged myself. I designed and managed a five-course, French-inspired fine dining experience for 16 guests — including wine — within the €10 limit. I wanted to prove that creativity, structure, and leadership could elevate even the tightest conditions.
The Concept
I imagined the feeling of a French countryside village: a long wooden table in a grandmother’s garden, where neighbors gather to share whatever the season provides. Equality, warmth, and connection were at the heart of the tradition — and I wanted to translate that into a fine dining setting. The long table became my stage: each guest was welcomed personally, seated at a place marked with a hand-decorated name card, and drawn into a story that unfolded course by course. My goal was to surprise them with the intimacy of tradition, elevated by the precision and elegance of gastronomy and execution.
The Menu
The journey began with an amuse, served directly onto the guest’s hand as they entered — a delicate courgette crisp from the Hotelschool gardens, topped with goat cheese mousse from a local farm and finished with honey-balsamic mustard pearls. A small bite, yet one that gave each person their own moment of attention.
Next came the interactive course. Guests were handed jars of cream, shaken into butter at the table. Laughter filled the room as they churned. When the jars returned to the kitchen, I transformed the butter into plates adorned with edible flowers and coarse sea salt, handpicked from the garden. Served with hot baguette. In that moment, they became part of the craft.
The soup followed — a velvety mushroom Pernod soup, rich and aromatic, nodding to the French village tradition. After the last spoonful, guests were invited to swirl red wine in their bowls and sip the remaining liquid directly — playful, rustic, and unexpected within the fine dining frame. Just like they did in the villages
For the main course, I chose the most iconic expression of French seasonality: Ratatouille. Each slice of aubergine, tomato, courgette, and bellpepper was seasoned individually, pressed to remove liquid, and layered with care over a refined red sauce. Finished with basil oil and a single chive, it was both humble and elevated, the countryside dish reborn with elegance.
Finally, the dessert carried the story home: a Dutch twist on the French cheese board. Oude Wijker Fiore, Dutch brie, and other local selections were presented with the same reverence as their French inspirations, celebrating the beauty of regional products close to Amsterdam.
Execution & Leadership
The greatest challenge was timing and coordination, as this was my first-ever event. I led a small kitchen (myself) and service team, delegating tasks while ensuring the fine dining standard was never compromised. I prepared mise-en-place lists, cost calculations, waste and breakage records, and a full service script. By working closely with my instructor and team, I achieved the exact budget target while maintaining the creative vision.
The Result
When the evening unfolded, it became more than a dinner, it became a story shared by everyone at the table. Guests laughed as they churned butter, the rustic elegance of sipping soup from their plates, and sat together as equals around the long French-style table. The dishes, the setting, and the atmosphere exceeded expectations, proving that fine dining can be both playful and profound.
For me, this event was a turning point. It showed me that strong planning, leadership, and creative vision can transform limitations into opportunities. More importantly, it confirmed that my passion lies not only in creating food, but in managing experiences — bringing people together through hospitality that is thoughtful, structured, and meaningful.
