Office crew

Graham is the company accountant, and has to keep a grip on things. He trained with BAT in London, qualifying in 1993, and fled North to work for a datacom company and Granada before joining Brunning and Price in 1998. He is married to Fliss, an independent human resource consultant, and they have two daughters. He rides a motorbike and enjoys the aroma of warm leather and oil.

Paul was born at a very young age and grew up near Denbigh. He studied Finance and Business in Hull, and on his ‘sandwich’ year managed the bar and lived above the pub at his local back home. Paul is a bit of a ladies man, being married to Helen with daughters Beth, Elin and Catrin. Previously Paul has done ‘numbers’ in Fine Art, Haulage and Cheese, and in his spare time is a School Governor and Church Treasurer. What they don’t know, but we do, is that he is a bit of a wild thing (click his photo for evidence).

Sam is responsible for pulling all the numbers and information together to compile the Brunning and Price profit and loss accounts. Her infinite patience and diplomacy (and firm hand) are tested when figuring out what everybody has spent all the money on. She would make a great debt counsellor.

Anne-Marie did her AAT training and gained accounting experience at Gibson’s Tractors in Tattenhall, where she had responsibility for the Purchase and Sales Ledgers. She has a keen and incisive mind, is no stranger to a practical joke, and keeps fit by running a lot.

Helen came to us after years of experience with Manweb, Wrexham Water and seven years at the Grosvenor Garden Centre, so she knows all there is to know about keeping unruly purchase ledgers in order. Amongst her other responsibilities she keeps her eye on the office credit card expenses, so can expect lovely Christmas and birthday presents for years to come. Helen is married to Ian and has two football mad sons, so spends much of her weekends cheerleading Wrexham football club youth teams.

Jane has been in finance almost all her working life. She started here as a temp but after a brief break returned to the fold full time. She lives in Bunbury, so when she’s not trying to sort the pub accounts out she’s happily propping up the bar at the Dysart.

Janice joined us in the Spring of 2007, and has proved to be a little ray of sunshine in the underground mines that are Accounts. She has been married to husband Rob since forever, and they have three children; Laura, Emma and Chris. They are a musical family, with Chris filling in the sporty side by being an ardent water-poloist. Janice keeps herself trim and alert by walking her dog every lunchtime – while the rest of us keep ourselves trim and alert by going to the pub.

Caitlin is a B&P natural, having spent time both behind and in front of the bar at the Grosvenor. We managed to wrest her from the clutches of the accounts team at Booker Cash and Carry, much to their loss. In terms of her various interests, Caitlin loves travelling, especially to Dubai (do I detect a serial shopper?) her favourite cheese is a strong blue, and her favourite fish is Nemo…….. lightly poached in white wine with dill.

Jane is responsible for the payroll, amongst other things, so is extremely popular and is very very nice. She has two girls, and is a passionate horsewoman - her horsebox, however, keeps bursting into flames thanks to a blackbird who recognises the exhaust manifold as home and persists in nesting there.

Andrew is South Yorkshire born and bred, where he lived next door to a Chuckle Brother. As a career payroller and number cruncher, work gave Andrew the opportunity to cross the border and move to Manchester in 2004 but a slower, less urban life beckoned and he and his partner landed in the beautiful county of Shropshire in 2007. Andrew admits to eating well and enjoys the odd glass/bottle of wine, so working with B&P seemed like the next natural step in his journey of life.

Jo, who has a degree in Retail Management, originally came to head office as personnel manager having been a deputy manager at the Glasfryn in Mold, and before that an assistant manager at the Pant yr Ochain, so she knows the score. The role of Operations Director is a challenging one, and she has to keep many plates spinning at the same time. Her common sense approach allied with her years in personnel enable her to keep on top of the many tricky and sensitive issues that arise each day.

Neal has been known to us for many years, having been at the helm of two highly-regarded local restaurants frequented by many a B&P hand. His unenviable task is to help marshal the northern B&P pubs, which is no pushover as they are a bunch of strong characters out there who know their stuff and aren’t shy of expressing themselves. Neal is a keen sportsman: in fact he was the Captain of a successful Cheshire Cheese rolling team, though what his duties entailed entirely escapes us.

Notwithstanding Ash’s Kiwi accent, right from the off he has fitted into B&P as if he had been here for years, and he has just the right mix of humour, gravitas, experience, common sense and unpretentiousness needed to herd the flock of seagulls he has under his wing. He is married to Kiri and they have three young daughters including twins, and he is particularly fond of being taken for an Australian.

Tom came to us from eight years in Edinburgh with Malmaison, but before that he spent time cheffing in America. His family home is near the Fox and he's been a customer for many years, little suspecting he'd end up in the fold. Tom's got a curious elbow that bends the wrong way, which he's justifiably very proud of.

Caroline joined the office crew having worked as a casual in Glasfryn on and off over the years in between stints of travelling the world and getting her degree. She spent 3 months in 2003 working as a team leader as part of Raleigh International helping organise a trek into the Andes and building a sports stadium in Chile so she’s used to getting stuck in and organising all sorts.

Jane came to us after seven years with Nestle: she started there as Customer Services manager but soon progressed to HR manager. At university Jane took options in Cultural Studies, which basically meant watching soap operas, and she still keeps up with Cultural Studies to this day. She drinks Gavi di Gavi and is a self-confessed foodie, being particularly partial to a bit of haddock. She plays netball to redress the balance.

Beth did her A levels at Yale, followed by a Psychology degree at the University of Wales in Swansea. She honed her HR skills during 5 years at Airbus, and her social skills during 10 years at the Pant, her Gresford local. Unusually for one so appreciative of the pleasures of grape and hop, Beth enjoys running, with the eventual goal of completing a half marathon.

Irene had been with us in the HR department for several years before leaving with her husband Andrew for a posting with his company to China, which was an adventure she relished. On her timely return to Blighty we prevailed on her to return to cover for Beth's maternity leave, which she happily agreed to.

Jan came to us from the Grosvenor estate, where she HR'd for 5 years following 20 years in personnel at the Bank of Scotland, so you could legitimately say she is an HR professional. Her abiding preoccupation is her holiday house in Hungary, and her great passion in life is food and wine......along with 80% of the company, so it seems.

Mike first joined the company in 1997, and soon graduated to heading up the chef team at Glasfryn at the time of opening. After three years of galloping success he left for the green pastures of executive chefdom, but returned to us after a year or so to run our chef support function in the company and in 2006 he became Executive chef. He's the man to help with in-house training, roving chefs and their rotas, trainee chefs and college liason, and all the key areas surrounding food development and production, acting as a consultant to the pubs. He's married to Lynn and they have two children, Jennifer and Patrick (who looks just like his Dad).

Warren is a chef’s chef and has a wonderful ability to get on with absolutely anybody. He is hugely respected by other head chefs in the company, and whichever kitchens he headed up in the past, you could guarantee you’d find a really happy ship. He is a tireless worker, which is just as well in the circumstances, and would appear to be completely unflappable. Warren is a man of few words, so he and Mike balance each other out nicely.

Nigel had his own computer company for many years, and we subcontracted a lot of work to his company before he came to join us. Nigel has one of the more difficult jobs in the company, having to deal with various degrees of techno-frustration from all and sundry around the company. He has adopted a phlegmatic approach to things, and would make an excellent therapist if it all finally got too much.

Kieron did a degree in Electronic Engineering at Leeds, and journeyed a full six weeks into a PHD before being lured by the siren call of business. He lived in Dubai for 2 years before joining B&P, where he met his wife Amanda. He is now a doting father of two boys, Oliver and Jamie aka Spud and Chubba.

Jake started adult life studying Exercise Science at Wolverhampton and graduated with a 2:1, but soon realised that he was looking over the shoulders of his graphic design mates to see what they were up to….so he changed track. He’s done a fair bit of travelling in his time, in the Caribbean and South Africa, and when we came across him he had his own web and graphic design agency in Manchester which we had to prize him away from. He is a bit of a fitness fanatic, and enjoys training and competing in triathlons.

Fran is a bit of a dynamo and is never happier than when there are fifteen calls backed up on his mobile phone. He has managed a couple of our pubs in the past, namely Harkers and the Pant. He thrives on pressure, and is in his element when we open a new pub, ’cause then he can engage hyper-drive, warp factor ten. He is married to Barbie and they have a son, Guy, who at a young age is already something of an engineering prodigy. Fran likes to keep his ears to the ground.

Originally a joiner by trade, we’ve known John for many years – he was involved in the original refurbishment of the Pant and a couple of houses for Fran. He was the original site foreman at Glasfryn when he worked for Ken Armstrong, before setting up on his own. He has very high standards, is enormously knowledgeable and painstakingly helpful, so we’re very pleased to have him on board. He is currently working on the B&P beer belly, which is coming along fine.

Andy is John’s other half in the field. He’s been in building all his life and is a chip off the old block, sharing the same sense of humour as his Pa. You’d think that father and son teams would be difficult at times, but they rub along together famously and make a very jolly pair.

Martin has been in the auditing game all his working life. He was the stationery cupboard monitor at school and was so good at counting pencils and tracking down missing Quink he decided to make a career of it. Extraordinarily, before he came to us the only previous interview he had ever had was for his very first job after school - it's just that ever since then he's been moved and promoted within companies as they've been taken over and merged, and got to be Deputy Regional manager without ever having to repeat the whole ghastly process. Mind you, he didn't appear nervous at all, so he must know his stuff.

Having previously owned her own floristry business, Lindsey joined the Pant in 1996 as a part-time person, but it very quickly became apparent that she was an absolute natural as a host and an operator - and within a very few years she became joint manager alongside Graham Arathoon, before becoming full manager in 2002. She stepped down from the Pant in the spring of 2010 and now concentrates on helping to open new pubs.

Kate, or ‘Goddard’ as she is known, came to us from many years at the Armoury, and can be identified by the number of pens she has in her hair at any one time. Rumour has it she showers with a pen in her hair in case a bright idea strikes. She is a closet hippy, being a qualified holistic therapist, and loves to travel when time and funds allow.

This is Andrew's third appearance as a B&P employee and each time he's left we've given him some top notch leaving presents, like golf clubs and an i pod. Next time he's hoping for a new five door saloon car, but we're wise to his tricks. He is a keen golfer and footballer and lives locally with his fiancee Sam.

Ben is Coventry born and bred but moved to Chester to study art and culture. Not being particularly arty or cultural, he ended up working in a pub and has never looked back.

When we first came across David he had his own event management company in Llangollen, where he helped organise the Food Festival, the Hot Air Balloon festival and the Motorbike Show, amongst others. In his spare time he is a hot-air balloonist himself, and holds a pilot's license. He is best mates with Jake, our graphic designer, and both arrived at B&P at the same time.

Caroline has seen and done a whole lot for one so apparently young: having started out as a chef at the Blackhouse Grill, she worked with Neal's wife Sarah at Duttons in Chester for four years, and was the F&B manager at Abode for a year. Her absolutely favourite thing is shopping, specifically for shoes, and she's no stranger to a bit of cheese - extra mature Cheddar, if you've got any.

Tom started washing up and then looked over the fence at the blokes dressed in white, and saw the grass was greener. Well, that was a few years ago now and he has ascended to the dizzy heights of senior sous. He has a serious DVD collection, loving music and gigging, and confesses to being a secret hardcore rocker. Being a true Welshman, he tells us, he loves Guinness and Rugby (err..isn't Guinness Irish?).

Affectionately known as Smudger, Sean is a skinny chef with an army background, so he’s disciplined and hard working, quiet and very easy going, an ex boxer that loves playing the guitar: there's a lot going on there.

When Lizzie first walked through the door in1998 she seemed so quiet and vulnerable we wondered how long she would last in the rough and tumble of a busy commercial kitchen, but we needn't have worried - she's a tough cookie who has progressed through talent, grit and determination. Go girl.

Dave – aka Popeye - has been in the cheffing trade for many years including a spell working in the tavernas of the Greek islands where he perfected kebabs and moussaka. Dave follows a conflicting range of interests which include weight training, flower arranging, ‘tough guy’ competitions, running marathons and needlework. He also plays rugby for Whitchurch, and likes to wind down after a game with a campari and soda whilst listening to his favourite Ronan Keating and Westlife tunes.

Jake started adult life studying Exercise Science at Wolverhampton and graduated with a 2:1, but soon realised that he was looking over the shoulders of his graphic design mates to see what they were up to….so he changed track. He’s done a fair bit of travelling in his time, in the Caribbean and South Africa, and when we came across him he had his own web and graphic design agency in Manchester which we had to prize him away from. He is a bit of a fitness fanatic, and enjoys training and competing in triathlons.

Duncan has tried his hand at many things in the company, including managing pubs, without a great deal of success really. Duncan has responsibility for communications, so now he hangs around the office, communicating. Despite being completely bemused by technology, and in the absence of any particular ability or inclination, he was made editor of the website. He is the first point of contact for all things webby, and is always keen for new material (especially old material).