But becoming the BII Apprentice of the Year has transformed her attitude to working and training in the pub industry, and the 26-year-old has found a life-long career.
Since working at the Orchard Pub in East Croydon and completing a BII licensed hospitality apprenticeship, she has ambitions to run her own traditional English countryside pub.
Markeviciute said: “This is what I want to do in my life and my future. I would like to have my own little place, my own little pub where I can work, make excellent food and provide excellent service and drinks. I’ve realised I really want to stay in this industry.”
She rejects the view that bar and pub work is a ‘stop-gap’ job, and is looking forward to learning and developing further, after apprenticeship training with HIT Training that covered customer services, merchandising, selling and due diligence in documentation.
“I have enjoyed learning all the new things in a professional way, how to communicate with people, how to work with my team,” she said.
Not speaking English fluently, Markeviciute struggled when she first worked in a café in 2013.
After moving to the Orchard, she had the opportunity to complete the course, which helped her to feel ‘comfortable’ at work, and gave her ‘motivation’.
She puts her award down to the huge progress she made. Markeviciute has her sights set on an old-fashioned English pub.
“I want a little pub, not in the city. To have one in the countryside is my dream,” she said. “I want high quality food, nothing amazing, just nice pub food, but I could change my mind.”
Stephen Mazza, trainer assessor for HIT Training, supported Markeviciute throughout her qualification.
He said: “Neringa has been a model apprentice. She is an extremely dedicated and hardworking individual who has shown a great deal of drive and energy to complete her qualification.