When I look back over my years in pubs, the moments I’m proudest of aren’t awards or figures on a spreadsheet. They’re the people — watching individuals grow into leaders in their own right.
Most of the people I’m most proud of worked with me in the same pub restaurant. Different personalities, different starting points, but the same environment, the same standards, and the same opportunities to step up when they were ready.
Leadership, for me, was never about holding onto people. It was about preparing them well enough to move forward confidently, wherever that took them.
Sarah was the first, working with me part-time on and off for many years, gaining her personal licence and Cellar Management Certificate at the tender age of 18. She was a fast learner, picking up systems, tills, paperwork, stock control, ordering and back-office procedures with ease.
Sarah was able to cover for me confidently when needed. Well liked by both guests and the team, she stepped up to Team Leader and later to Deputy Manager and Joint Holding Manager when I moved into a training role within the company.
Connor began as a runner, unsure he’d ever be able to remember all the table numbers. But by building on what he already knew, his confidence grew naturally. Proactive and keen to learn, he worked across front of house, kitchen, cellar, and back office, becoming competent in every area.
Before stepping directly into leadership, Connor chose to work fully in the kitchen, so he could understand the pressure behind the cookline and earn the respect of that team — a decision that showed early leadership maturity. He worked through every section of the kitchen and completed an apprenticeship, achieving awards including Apprentice of the Year (Southern Region) at the ‘Apprenticeships National Awards’ and Apprentice of the Year at company level.
At 18, he gained his personal licence and was asked by a colleague to help train team members for the relaunch of a new brand at which time he was promoted to Deputy Manager. He returned with a newfound confidence, ‘a job done well’ and began taking on more responsibility — attending area meetings where he met other managers across the region, many of whom would go on to request his support in their own pubs. Later, he chose to take on a General Manager role in another pub, rather than simply stepping into mine when I decided to move on.
Josh joined the team initially as a runner, encouraged by Connor, following his lead and guidance, he also became competent in every area of the business. Josh progressed steadily, not rushed. He eventually became Deputy Manager and then, alongside Sarah, he stepped up as Joint Holding Manager. Later, he joined me on secondment within the Implementation team, training other managers and their teams on new systems, before returning to take on a General Manager role of his own.
Ben quite literally walked four miles in the pouring rain just to collect an application form. I interviewed him on the spot. He was personable, confident, and exactly right for a Team Leader role. The time came when he was ready to step up to Deputy Manager but there wasn’t a position available in my pub, so I introduced him to another business within our brand. From there, Ben continued to progress and eventually moved back to his hometown, later taking on his own tenancy pub.
Grant and Fraser both joined as team players and gradually stepped up into Team Leader roles. They grew in confidence as responsibility increased, learning how to lead shifts properly, support their teams, and take ownership of standards. Watching younger team members realise they were capable of more than they thought was always one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
Kat joined as a team player and quickly showed strong leadership qualities. She stepped up to Team Leader and later chose to move on to another company, where she went on to become a General Manager. Seeing someone take what they’d learned and apply it successfully elsewhere was something I always took as a positive — it meant we’d done our job properly.
Gareth joined my team as a Deputy Manager with confidence, experience, and plenty to offer. He remained in that role for several years, contributing hugely to the business, before being encouraged to take on a General Manager position within another brand in the same company. What he needed at that point was his own pub, and it didn’t take long for it to become clear that it was the right move for him.
Sara was a team player in one of the first pubs I managed. She joined with plenty of previous experience and quickly became a key part of the business, taking the time to understand how I ran the pub as well as how the company operated as a whole. She later went on to take on her own tenancy and remains there to this day, nearly 20 years on.
Looking back, there’s a common thread running through all of them:
they were shown, supported, trusted, and challenged — never rushed and never held back.
That’s what leadership meant to me.
Not building a team that depended on me — but developing people who were ready to stand on their own.