Aces in Places
Developing Leaders Through Experience, Standards and People
Running a good pub has never just been about sales or systems.
At its heart, hospitality has always been about people.
Over more than twenty years working in pubs, I saw time and time again that the businesses which ran best were not simply the busiest ones. They were the ones where teams worked well together, where standards were clear, and where people were given the opportunity to grow.
Some of the moments I’m proudest of in my career have nothing to do with figures or reports. They are the moments when members of my team stepped forward into leadership themselves — becoming Team Leaders, Deputy Managers and eventually General Managers of their own pubs.
Watching people gain confidence and realise what they were capable of was always the most rewarding part of the job.
The phrase Aces in Places reflects a simple belief:
when the right people are supported in the right roles, pubs run better, teams become stronger, and guests feel the difference.
This website is simply a place to share some of the lessons learned along the way — the standards, leadership ideas and experiences that helped my teams and pubs run well.
🌿A Good Place to Start
Alongside practical guidance, these reflections share real moments and lessons from behind the bar.
🌿Latest Reflection
- Cross Training in PubsAn important lesson to learn is that cross training in pubs can help shape customer experience… It is important for team members to feel comfortable stepping into different areas of the business — not to replace each other, but to understand how everything worked together. In many pubs, front of house and kitchen can feel… Read more: Cross Training in Pubs
- Pub Standards Matter for the Best Customer ExperienceYou Never Know Who’s Walking Through the Door I remember one of my team questioning why I was so particular about pub standards and Customer Experience. Why I expected them to keep themselves busy.Why I wanted the bar and restaurant always ready.And in particular, why I didn’t want cloths and table sprays left on the… Read more: Pub Standards Matter for the Best Customer Experience
- When the Problem Isn’t What It SeemsI remember visiting a site during my time as an Implementation Manager. I’d been asked to support the team with some training and also to help investigate what appeared to be a significant cash loss. Helping them understand why cash discrepancies happen (how to spot the real problem). On paper, they were showing a large… Read more: When the Problem Isn’t What It Seems
🌿Explore Topics
🌿About Eileen
I spent more than twenty years managing pubs across the UK, working with teams to create welcoming environments where guests felt comfortable and standards were consistently high.
The part of the job I valued most was developing people. During my time in hospitality many team members I worked with progressed into leadership roles of their own — becoming Team Leaders, Deputy Managers and General Managers.
After leaving pub management I worked as an Implementation Manager, travelling across the country helping pub teams introduce new systems, before later becoming a Hospitality Assessor supporting training and development within the industry.
Aces in Places is a place to share the lessons, standards and leadership experiences that shaped those years in hospitality.