“Kelsey was able to see beyond the day-to-day running of the restaurant. Even in an incredibly busy, high-pressure venue, she was thinking about what Harvest could do next and how we could create experiences that people genuinely wanted to be part of. She brought ideas to life — like Wine Club, a weekly after-service wine gathering for staff — and Roots, a reforestation non-profit — as well as other events and initiatives that helped build a culture and community around Harvest beyond simply coming in for a meal.

As Restaurant Manager/AGM, Kelsey had an incredible ability to move between worlds. She could oversee high-end service, coordinate a big event, work across departments, manage staff and then switch straight into developing a new idea or solving whatever unexpected problem had landed in front of us. At a venue the size and complexity of Harvest, that takes a huge amount of confidence, creativity and trust.

That’s probably what I valued most about working with Kelsey — I trusted her. You could give her a problem or the seed of an idea and know she would take ownership of it, bring the right people together and find a way to make it happen. She has that rare combination of creative thinking and practical capability that means her ideas don’t just stay ideas.” - Moira Waterfall (former General Manager at Harvest Newrybar)