The perfect job? Meet the woman who became tea and cake taster with a cruise line

Whether it be for Prime Minister or a little part-time help, finding the right person to fill a position can be tricky. So when MSC Cruises decided a “tea and cake taster” was needed to gauge the quality of service on board MSC Magnifica, the line advertised for a candidate with a sweet tooth and an informed opinion on just how a brew should be prepared. Step forward Lesley Thomson, a 51-year-old former public-sector manager from Cheshire, semi-retired and seeking a new challenge...

So, Lesley – how did you hear about the post?

I was looking at holidays for later this year. I first saw the ad on Twitter and was attracted by its quirky nature – the fact that it was for a tea taster and there was a job description. I don’t normally enter competitions but I thought, “I can do that”.

A spur-of-the-moment decision?

Yes. And I thought that a quirky advert required a quirky entry. So I decided to write a poem. It took me 10 minutes. I sent it off and forgot about it until I got an email saying I’d won – a lovely surprise.

Lesley's winning poem

Do you have a suitable level of experience with tea and cake?

I’m not a baker; I don’t have the discipline. I rely on other people to make cakes for me but I do love them. I very much like afternoon tea, and the ritual around it. I’ve had tea in some wonderful places. 

Go on, make us jealous...

Well, the most memorable was probably the Raffles hotel in Dubai. It was an afternoon tea themed around Manolo Blahnik, the famous shoemaker. So everything was shoe- or handbag-shaped. I’ve also dropped “subtle” hints to my husband about tea at The Ritz in London. No news yet. 

Where will your voyage with MSC Cruises take you?

The North Sea. We head to Le Havre in France, then Zeebrugge, Bruges and Amsterdam and on to Hamburg. I’m especially looking forward to the last city, as I’ve never been to Germany’s big port. I’m not a regular cruise passenger, but have sailed before. My last voyage took me around the Baltic.

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Are you particular about how you take your tea?

My husband and I have been together for 12 years, and he still hasn’t learned to make it how I like it. I’m a mug-and-bag girl. The water has to be very hot, the bag left in for about 10 seconds – not so strong that it needs lots of milk. I think there are some things you should never do – like putting the milk in first. The tea on board is Yorkshire Tea – selected after more than 1,000 people voted for their favourite brand in an online poll on the MSC Cruises and Twitter pages. It will be available in all the bars and restaurants and, in a first for MSC, in cabins too.  

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What’s your favourite cake?

I’m not a chocolate fan; I prefer carrot or coffee cake – or others that go well with tea, such as parkin, a Yorkshire gingerbread cake. It will be good to get down to some cake-testing. 

Is this the start of a new career?

Who knows? Maybe I’ll become the Jane McDonald of the tea-and-cake world.