OTS p10-11 cover story Jun09.qxp 28/05/2009 09:17 Page 10
business building · cover story
Winning personality
Last month saw 19 year-old Kayleigh Boyd triumph as
the 2009 BII Scotland Bar Personality of the Year,
which prompted OTS to visit her work place, The
Bothy in Perth, to find out what makes a great bar
personality, and what the future holds for the winner,
while we also catch up with new BII chief executive
Neil Robertson.
Kayleigh Boyd found her way into the “It’s great to be
hospitality industry at a young age – 15 to be moving up the chain
exact – and the circumstances of this in a company like G1
introduction are far from conventional. Born Group, which
and raised in Arbroath, Kayleigh moved to because of its size,
Cyprus in her formative years and quickly has plenty of career
found herself working in a café/bar owned by opportunities. It’s a
a couple of Glaswegians. Hardly Mamma Mia, big company so
but it was something Kayleigh enjoyed, so there’s even scope to
when her family returned to Scotland, this move cities and gain
time to Perth, she soon found work in G1 experience in Kayleigh gets shaking.
Group restaurant and bar, The Bothy. different
Kayleigh has worked in The Bothy for two environments,” she says. When it comes to the search for the BII
and half years, starting as a waitress too young That said, Kayleigh is happy to remain in Scotland Bar Personality of the Year, Kayleigh
to work behind the bar. After leaving for a few Perth for now, something that is due in no didn’t know she’d been entered until she
months to dip her toe in the tepid waters of small part to her job, and the team at The received a letter confirming she’d reached the
retail she quickly returned to The Bothy and Bothy. “Everyone I work with is also a friend, shortlist. And as anyone who works in the
realised her future lay in the licensed trade – they’re not just workmates,” she says. “There’s trade knows, days are so busy that when
the fact she was now old enough to make a good atmosphere, everyone gets on and something unexpected happens it can cause a
cocktails seems to have played its part in this that’s reflected in the service the customers few logistical problems. “At the time I didn’t
decision. receive. When the restaurant is packed it’s know if I could make the interview, which
She currently works as bar supervisor, and nice to be able to have that reliance on would have made me ineligible. We had a
has been in this role for around four months. everyone else.” stock take to do the same day so I was a bit
As a restaurant with a bar, staff at The Bothy
need to know everything, from food service,
to wine lists and cocktail menus.
· 10 · ots · june 2009 · www.55north.com
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