Master of all trades - Ben shows us what being a super Team Member involves
At M&B many of our General Managers, Corporate team and even some of our Directors, started their careers from the ground up. Knowledge of the ins and outs of how a pub works is key to progress in our fast-paced industry, so a thirst for knowledge and the drive to be able to work in every area of a one of our fantastic pubs is essential to building skills for a solid career foundation.
Ben joined the Sharman’s Cross pub as a Front of House Team Member after leaving school. Since then, he has developed his skills and career by cross training into a Chef position, alongside his Team Member role.
What first attracted you to apply for a job at M&B?
It is my local pub and when I heard that they needed someone to be a food runner, I applied. It’s so convenient that it's literally a 5 minute walk to work!
Why did you decide that you wanted to work in both the kitchen and front of house?
I enjoy cooking food at home so decided that I wanted to be a chef, but I also wanted to learn how to work on the bar pouring drinks and serving customers, so I get the best of both worlds doing a dual role.
What new skills do you feel you have developed since working in the kitchen as a chef?
I’ve learnt how to cook different foods at the same time in large quantities. There is always a lot going on in the kitchen, so timing is really important to make sure it all ends up on the plates at the same time. I’ve learnt how to properly cook and prepare food so that it is safe as well as looking and tasting great.
What support did you get when you started to work in the kitchen?
The other Chefs at the pub have helped me gain experience by showing me what to do and I was able to work on different sections of the kitchen. There are also lots of online learning tools which have helped to grow my knowledge and make me feel more confident in my job.
What do you love most about your dual role job?
I am able to do any job within the pub so I feel like a really valuable asset to the team, and I am able to do as many shift as I want to work as I can do both front and back of house roles, so it gives me the flexibility to earn more.
What is your career ambition with M&B?
I want to continue to be a chef and hopefully progress to Kitchen Manager running my own team and kitchen one day.
How do you spend your time when you're not at work?
I go out to different places to find new stuff to do or meet up with friends. I love going to rock festivals, so now they are back up and running the money from my job will be coming in handy to buy my tickets.
Why would you recommend a chef job at M&B?
It’s good to gain experience in the kitchen and its fun! I have already learnt a lot of new skills since starting to do shifts in the kitchen which will help me with my future progression.
What is the best perk of working for M&B?
The 33% staff discount allows me to go to loads of different pubs and it’s cheap!
Find out more about our dual Team Member roles and apply for a job.
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