D’MOUTH AT WORK
Becky Marsh - Front of House Manager at Kendricks.
How long have you worked at Kendricks? Probably for about 13 years and I’ve been manager for the past 5 years. Previously I worked in retail. Are you a Dartmouth girl? Pretty much, we moved here when I was 5 yrs and we lived mostly in Stoke Fleming. I’m now a bit closer and rent in the town. How did you start at Kendricks? Largely through my sister who was the first employee here. What makes you stay? It’s fun to work here as you’re working with friends. It’s a very varied job as every night is different. It’s also a job that you leave at the door when you go home. Tomorrow is always a new day. What are the hours? For me, it’s 9am-12pm answering the phones, laying up tables and doing the ordering. Then I’m back around 5.30pm until we close anytime between 10pm and midnight. The hours are odd but we do have the afternoons to ourselves, which can be a bonus. What happens on a busy night? On a busy night, we can have 5-6 staff out front (plus 4 in the kitchen). We’re busiest obviously on a Friday and Saturday and as soon as the season gets underway, with Easter and Regatta being the most busy. Our record number of covers in one evening is 168. What makes Kendricks special? The staff, good food and good service. We have lots of regular customers (I’ll come here often with my family) because we offer good value for money and it’s a nice friendly atmosphere. We’re not too formal – you can come here with your family or on a date. We’re very popular with the Naval College too.
The best and worst parts of your job? The worst part is the unsocial hours and you do get the occasional ‘choice’ holidaymaker. Sometimes we get customers that can be very difficult to please. The best thing is that every night is different and it’s a very social job with both customers and fellow staff. A lot of us have been here a long time e.g. the chef Simon has been here 15 years, Hannah, our head waitress for 9 years. What makes a good front of house manager? Being able to talk to people, to think on your feet and being able to delegate. Does the menu ever change? The Specials’ Board is always changing but the main menu is tweaked occasionally. Our regulars have gotten to know what to expect and I think they like that. What would you recommend from the menu? If it was for me, it’s the ribs everytime! Best time of year? The busier the better. If Kendricks is busy, where would you recommend I eat? I like the new Radius 7 in Stoke Fleming. If not working in a restaurant? Originally, I wanted to be a veterinary nurse but six months work experience soon changed my mind. Hobbies? Rowing on the river, every Sunday. Most recent holiday? Snowboarding in the Alps. What’s special about Dartmouth? When I was younger I was desperate to escape but I now appreciate it more as I get older. If you could change one thing about Dartmouth? Make it cheaper to live here! Also, winters can drag on a bit…
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