How did you get your start in Stonegate?
"I started out as a part-time Team Member. The honest answer is that I needed some money once I finished university. But hospitality has always been a passion of mine; I’ve always worked in pubs, bars, restaurants, that sort of thing.
I studied Hospitality and Business at the University College of Food in Birmingham and was on the lookout for a job. I walked into the Slug & Lettuce in Brindley Place, handed in my CV, and the rest is history."
What made you want to stay in the hospitality industry?
"I love making people smile and creating a great experience for somebody, whether that be a great dish of food while working as a chef or serving an amazing cocktail while working in a cocktail bar. For me, it’s about creating a fabulous experience. I think that's something individual in terms of hospitality. It’s not just about pulling pints.
When I told my Dad that I wanted to work in hospitality, he said, 'You need to get a proper job’ which almost feels like a universal experience in our industry. But there are tonnes of transferable skills, and when you start to look at the people development side, that’s when it gets really exciting to see how you’re going to get the best out of your people.
In terms of Stonegate, it was all about the Stonegate community. When I joined Stonegate 14 years ago, we were going through a big expansion, which was really exciting. There’s a great culture within the company with real opportunities to grow and develop, which is something I’m very passionate about. Following the expansion and growth of the business, we had so many opportunities to work in different areas and types of businesses, from pubs to nightclubs. I feel fortunate to have been able to work across the entire business, from the late-night venues to our Proper Pubs and Pub and Dining teams."
Do you have people in your team today who have worked across different functions?
"Of course, we have people in my area who have moved across from Social Pub & Kitchen to become General Managers at various Proper Pub sites. We also have team members who dart here, there, and everywhere for university. They'll go and work up in Leeds, Manchester, or Liverpool in the late-night venues during term time and then come back to us during their holidays, which ensures that we don’t lose our best people. I think moving around the business is really useful for learning new skills as well."
How did you find the process of completing the career pathways?
"Yes, so I’ve completed the whole ATOP (Albert’s Theory of Progression, Stonegate’s front-of-house career pathway) journey from Award to Aspirations. I guess the day-to-day skills are primarily learned on the job, but when it comes to learning how to read stocks, system processes, and how to dive into the P&L (profit and loss), that's the exciting bit. I also loved learning about the different leadership styles and how you can impact other people and help to develop them.
I’m so proud of the fact that when I was a General Manager, I had people engaged on all levels of the ATOP pathway, from team members wanting to become team leaders to Deputies ready to take on their own site. I’m passionate about seeing my people come up through the ranks. This isn’t only on the pub side of things; a couple of my previous Deputy Managers now work in the Pub Support Team in Solihull in various departments.
It’s great to see the culture around developing people throughout Stonegate. We may be the biggest pub company in the UK, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way in terms of the people. Everyone has connections to people all over the business, and many of our leaders have come from site."
What made you want to take the step up from GM to AM?
"I guess the big thing for me was continual development and learning a new skill set while being able to implement it in a wider role. Of course, leading a successful business is important, but for me, the best part is getting to work with a range of different people every day.
I feel like Aspirations set me up for success in this role. It doesn’t necessarily teach you how to be a great Area Manager; instead, it gives you the skill set that you need to fall back on in times of uncertainty or crisis when your team is looking to you for guidance. It was a challenge, but looking back, I wouldn’t change it for the world."
