Our people
Hamish - Assistant Manager
Prince Alfred
Meet Hamish
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Why did you choose to work for us?
The company have a unique offer to train you from scratch and teach you all the skills to run your own business.
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Tell us about your story so far?
I worked from Supervisor up to Assistant Manager and moved to London to The Star & Garter to further develop as a manager under new teachings from a different manager, learning different skills and meeting many new people along the way before taking on my next challenge. Which was at the Prince Alfred pub where I was a part of a big refurbishment and developed the pub into what it is and has now received a certificate of excellence from Trip Advisor!
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What do you get up to on a typical day/shift?
Menu develop, training staff and expanding horizons for every single member of the team. If they want to learn anything I will teach them. I believe that to not show someone something is to hold them back. I will work on the bar, the floor, answer enquiries, chase up job that need to be done by engineers, fire marshals, and delegate out tasks to further develop the business into what it deserves to be and I have fun and learn every day by doing it!
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What do you like most about working here?
Limitless development, only you can hold yourself back and it has taken me a few years to realise that…oops!
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What’s been your biggest achievement so far?
Achieving the consideration to be a General Manager.
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What makes someone successful here?
Listening and putting in the work, that’s it. If you are motivated, if you are patient with people, if you do what needs to be done and ask the right questions then you will be successful here.
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Tell us about the training and development…
I have done my personal license, official qualifications in cellar management, wine knowledge, emergency first aid, cocktails, food, management courses, trips to France to further knowledge of wine, coffee training. These are the official training…The unofficial training is what I have learned through working with people, some strong, some weak, some that need help, some that hate help, some that turn up and can’t wait to leave, and some that put every ounce of their heart and soul into their job.
I’ve learnt never to look down on anyone unless you’re helping them up. Your time is valuable to the people that need it, not valuable to the people that want it. Patience is the most important aspect of being a manager, if you’re with someone be with them, stop what you’re doing and be in the room. Plan your day and train people to be the best they can be, the more they learn, the more they develop and the more tasks that can be delegated in order for you to focus on developing the business into one that can be truly successful -
What is it really like to work here?
It’s a challenge, if you want to be able to manage your own business then let’s do it, everyone will help you along the way but it’s your journey to control. If you want an easy ride, then go to a chain that has a fixed way of business and be a caretaker, this is not for you.
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What do you think makes us unique as an employer?
We will train you to be a business manager, we will train you to be a people manager, we will train you to be able to develop yourself by creating the relevant tools you need to run a business. But, you will have support every step of the way, you are never alone.
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What would you say to someone who was thinking of applying?
Let’s do it!
A bit more about you...
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What is your favourite story (film, play or book)?
My favourite film is Inception, it teaches many lessons, each a new one every time you watch it. The most important lesson is that NOTHING is MORE powerful, more dangerous and more influential than an idea. What ideas do you have?
My favourite play is The Book Of Mormon, this teaches other things, other views that I share about religion that I feel sharing might offend those that are religious, but in short it’s very funny and very fun.
My favourite book… well that’s a very vague question. Two books blew me away more than any others, both written by Ken Follet. Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. These books will show you how far we have come as a human species, through the harshest stories ever written. -
What’s your favourite song?
The song is called Globus, it’s performed by Europa. It’s important to really listen and understand this song.
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If you could invite anyone to a dinner party, which 4 people would you choose?
No one you’d know.
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What would be your ideal holiday destination and why?
I’ll let you know when I get there. I’ve been to 55 countries, by the 11th August 2016 it’ll be 56 after I get off a plane arriving at Russia, and none of these countries have satisfied my thirst for seeing the world, so answering this question with a simple straight answer holds zero meaning. So like I said before…I’ll let you know when I get there.
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