10 Questions with Sam Brawn – Peach People
In the demanding industry of hospitality it takes guts and determination to get where you want to be. Peach always strive to support their individual team members to do great things and rise through the ranks in building a fulfilling and fun career in the Pub trade. We spoke to some of our Peachiest people to get to tell us all about their journey through Peach so far. Sam Aylard, the General Manager of The White Horse accounts her Peach story of inspirational people and treasured memories.
Who in Peach has trained, mentored or inspired you and how has this helped in your career?
The person that has inspired me most is definitely Andrew Coath. He pushed & mentored me from my early twenties right through to my late twenties, and took a new manager who was not very confident and largely made me the General Manager I am today.
Tell us about an accomplishment that you are most proud of in your Peach career.
My biggest accomplishment has to be becoming GM of the White Horse, & slowly building the reputation to what it deserves & has today. I had to work extremely hard to gain the respect & trust from the locals. By running the right events & keeping some consistency, I feel I have finally started to see growth in the business & as well as gaining new regulars.
What’s your funniest story from peach?
I honestly don’t know where to begin. A particular occasion that comes to mind would be when peach had just purchased The Embankment. We were invited to a Christmas get together as it was closed for the first big re-furb. We partied till the sun came up, and I remember laughing so hard at Trevor & Lee being pushed from one end of the room to the other in a chair as Andrew swung from a chandelier above. Probably the best of introductions to Peach, and only the first of many laughs & memories.
What awards have you won while at Peach or what awards would you like to go for?
I applied for the Young Persons Acorn Award at the onset of my career with Peach, which I finished as a runner-up. I would love to push for an Acorn Award as my next goal and, as I turn 30 next year, I know is something I need to do very soon.
What’s your favourite Peach party memory?
I will have to tweak my answer slightly because I think my favourite Peach memory of all time has to be deciding to go to the Eiffel Tower at 1am with Nicolette, (leaving everyone else to go clubbing) when in Paris for our ‘Manager’s Summer House’. We managed to get some cold beers and sat watching the lights flicker, whilst we put the world to rights. I gained a great friend that night.
Who has been your best catering training story and where are they now?
Caroline Smith walked in with her CV one and a half years ago for a career change. Caroline had never worked in hospitality before. She started quiet & had low confidence. I was determined to help her build her character & lead her up the right path to start her new career. After intense training on pushing sales, reading your guests, food & wine knowledge, Caroline is now our best Master Peach. She is a true delight to work with. Caroline is always happy & has the most infectious personality. We are currently training her with a few trainee manager responsibilities now, so watch this space.
How have you changed as a caterer from when you first joined Peach to now?
When I began at the age of 22, I wasn’t very confident. When a guest complained I wanted the ground to swallow me up. Working with a team who were mostly older than me, I found it hard to have any kind of authority. Now, if I am not good at something, I will work hard until I feel confident I can do it. Complaints are now my greatest challenge. I will throw myself in any scenario & try my best to turn it around. Doing this has brought back guests I thought I would never see again, some are now my favourite regulars.
How has Peach got the best out of you? What support/training did you need to do this job and how did Peach help?
The best training I have received by far, is the training from MJ at ‘Purple Cube’. MJ is one of the most inspirational people that I have ever met. She reminds me why I do what I do. I have been to two training days that she has lead. I never leave disappointed & I cannot wait to implement everything she teaches me on to my team, as well as using her training techniques to make me a better manager & trainer.
What are your career goals and how can Peach help you to get there?
My career goals would be to ultimately teach others about this industry. Share with young adults why working in hospitality can lead you to great opportunities. As an 18 year old that had no idea what to do with my life, I was lucky to work for a hotel that made me realise I was actually really good at this. When you’re young at school, you’re not necessarily taught that this could be a great career choice. I would love to be the voice of hospitality. Working out how, is another question.
In the meantime, however, running my beautiful little pub & making it succeed, whilst working up to the next level of an ultimate GM.
What are the most important lessons you have learnt from Peach?
I have learnt how to run a business. To go by budgets, as much as possible, by controlling spending & planning how to increase sales, by either getting creative, selling your business around the community, simply doing the basics well & of course having a fantastic team you have built by constant training & great moral.
What advice would you give someone who was about to start there Peach career?
‘Work hard, play hard’
Are looking for a career in hospitality? Find out more information about how to join the Peach team here today.
