OTS p10-11 cover story Jun09.qxp 28/05/2009 09:17 Page 11
cover story · business building
worried, but thankfully it all worked out OK in
UIforwardNew BII boss raises the stakes
the end and I got to go along.”
The new chief executive of the BII, Neil Robertson,
At the interview Janet Hood, head of BII
returned to his Scottish homeland for BII Scotland’s
Scotland and Morris Lorimer, director of
annual dinner dance last month and OTS caught up with
Lorimer Training – sponsor of the award –
him the morning after the night before to discuss what his
spoke to the six shortlisted candidates, all of
plans are for the organisation and his thoughts on the
whom were invited to the BII Scotland Annual
Scottish trade.
Dinner Dance, when the winner was unveiled.
From the off Neil is a passionate man with a clear
“On the night I didn’t really know what to
mission, and this is to do as much as he can for BII
expect but I loved the whole thing. I was really
members. That will start by holding focus groups across
surprised to win as I thought Daniel (Dewars
the country to gauge the concerns of the members, and
from The White Horse in Balmedie and
how they should be acted upon. Neil has also hinted at
Thomas (Jukes from Budda in Glasgow) stood
changes to the way BII Scotland operates to better reflect
a good chance after meeting them.”
the concerns of its members, and he’s keen to point out
It was Kayleigh that triumphed though and
that any changes will include more support for the head of
Morris Lorimer says: “Kayleigh took to bar
BII in Scotland, Janet Hood. “We need to do more for our
work like a duck to water and she has come a
members and offer them support, we know how busy they are and the present climate
long way since first working in a pub collecting
makes life tough so initiatives like our helpline are there to offer advice and
glasses at the age of 15. She is enthusiastic
reassurance,” he says.
and fully committed to a career in the
Another area Neil is looking to tackle is how businesses are coping in the downturn.
licensed trade and I’m sure we’ll be seeing
“Good businesses are doing well and we need to highlight this,” he says. “I’m fed up with
lots more of her in the future. We had some
the doom and gloom in the licensed trade, if we talk ourselves into being negative then
excellent entries and our finalists were very
the Government will give up on us.”
diverse which made choosing the winner
Neil also says the discussion on health needs to be broadened. “The media are quick
quite a tricky task, but Kayleigh’s charisma
to make correlations between pubs and health problems but let’s talk about sensible
shone through and just gave her the edge.”
drinking in a positive way, the on-trade provides a good social community.”
It was John Argo, business development
And one thing BII will be pushing then is the idea of ‘pub is the hub’. Neil highlights
manger at G1, who entered Kayleigh. He’d
the diversification of pubs such as many rural outlets also acting as local shops, or post
previously been general manager at The Bothy
offices.
before moving up to oversee the region and
The Government comes in for criticism with Neil saying it needs to recognise that pubs
he says she was a definite candidate for the
are small businesses and the constant slew of red tape is stifling creativity and
award. “I’d spoken to The Bothy’s manager
innovation, although he says the Scottish Government is more likely to listen and adapt
Graham Rylands and we agreed Kayleigh was
than its Westminster counterpart.
a good candidate. It’s all about her personality,
Looking to the future and Neil says the BII has been working hard with children to
she’s young but has a mature head on her
teach them how to drink sensibly when they’re adults. “It’s a harm reduction model.
shoulders and knows how to talk to people –
Medics have a black and white view on it, but the trouble is the debate is too narrow,
that positive attitude can’t be taught. She
Scotland’s drug education is great, so why not drink education?”
radiates happiness and in terms of service,
There will also be a focus of highlighting the economic benefits of the licensed trade.
that’s what it’s all about,” he says.
As Neil points out, it’s one of the biggest employers of young people and has a huge
John also says that she’s definitely turned
array of qualifications for them to obtain. “They are in our industry and so we want to
heads at G1 and that her career is sure to
help them get Government funding. It’s an industry that trusts young people, and not
prosper from here. “We like to promote from
every industry does that.”
within and look to identify people that are
Beyond that members will be encouraged to share success and with members holding
worth investing in,Kayleigh definitely has a
up, Neil says this can only help standards overall. “Hard word, energy, enthusiasm and
future ahead of her with G1.”
professionalism will see you through,” he says, concluding, “It’s a great industry that
Winning the award is certainly a huge
does so much good for the country, we want to celebrate that.”
career boost, especially so at Kayleigh’s age,
and she is very focussed on moving further
up the career ladder in the licensed trade. emulate this success? “You’ve got to have the 2 in Food and Drink, she is well placed to
“This is definitely my career now. I’m happy right attitude and an enthusiastic approach to move forward in the industry.
with the job I’ve got at the moment, but I work,” she says. “There’s also a lot to know “You have to know what you’re doing, but
want that to progress as I get older. Eventually when working in a place like The Bothy from also be smiley and happy for customers.
I’d like to be a manager then one day have waitressing to managing a wine list and People want to return to venues like that. We
my own place. I’m not too worried about making cocktails so you need to be able to try to give the best service possible, making
progressing too fast – I’m happy to be in my jump from one area to the other. I’ve been sure that every customer has what they need.
current role at the moment. It’s been good to through it all since coming back here. You That should work everywhere. If you do a
see G1 putting its faith in me by promoting need a little bit of everything, and show a good enough job then people will return.”
me to bar supervisor and it’s been nice to get willingness to learn.” For now that is what Kayleigh will continue
congratulations from the company after Kayleigh highlights the imminent arrival of to do, but with a strong work ethic,
winning the award.” the new Licensing Act as something that she unbounding enthusiasm and an ideal
The question is, what is it that makes is learning more about, and having completed personality for the licensed trade, it might not
Kayleigh the bar personality of the year, and her Personal Licence Holder training as well as be long before Kayleigh takes another step up
what should other bar workers be doing to being SIA qualified and gaining an SVQ Level that career ladder.
www.55north.com · june 2009 · ots · 11 ·
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