Longbow Venues is celebrating our place on the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024 list. We were praised for efficiency, standards and processes and our policy of promoting from within where possible, giving staff clear career progression.

Our internal career progression policy is very important to us. Identifying talent, nurturing staff and ensuring they feel confident in their roles through robust training is the secret to our success.

One team member who demonstrates this perfectly is Josh Butler, 25, from Derby. Josh is the general manager of our latest venue, The Ashford Arms. We chatted to him about his career and how he’s gone from teenage food runner to general manager in a short space of time.

Tell us Josh, how did your career in hospitality start out?

‘Like many young people, I started out to earn money when I was a teenager.’

‘I was studying for a BTEC in public services, thinking I wanted to join the police. Joe, a friend of mine, kept talking about his job in a pub restaurant and how he was earning lots of money. He had managed to buy himself a white SEAT Ibiza with black wheel trims and as I was a few months off turning 17, I wanted a car and to earn too.’

‘I’d never had a job before and never done an interview. My interview at this particular venue was very informal. It was a chat at the bar with the general manager who offered me the position of food runner, there and then.’

‘Being a food runner, I was responsible for assisting the waiting on staff. I carried plates to the table, carried the odd drink and cleared away. It was easy, active work that I enjoyed and the team were great.’

At what point did you start to think about hospitality as a viable career?

‘At the end of my BTEC course, I went for an interview with Derbyshire Police and was told I wasn’t right at that time and needed more life experience. It was a bit of a blow but it forced me to step up in my hospitality role. I didn’t want to go to University. I’d hated school and the thought of more education was not appealing. I had no intention of sitting at a desk and so I started to work full time at the restaurant.’

‘In 2019, Rob Hattersley, who was my area manager in the PLC-run venue, made me the training lead. I loved this and stepped into it with ease. I really enjoyed training others and it was a step up. I was really happy in my role and felt like I was making a difference.’

‘In October 2019 I was promoted to assistant manager but soon, people in the team started to leave. Alice Houghton (now general manager of The George) and my friend Joe who I mentioned earlier, moved to a venue in Coventry. Stephen Atkinson (now operations director of Longbow Venues) returned back to the venue I worked in and we got to know one another. I enjoyed working with him.’

‘At the end of 2019, Rob called me into the office and said “Here, have a look at this”. It was the logo for Longbow Venues and he revealed he would be leaving to set up his own venture. I walked out to go and talk to Steve about it and got a shock when he said “Yeah, I’m going too.” I expressed an interest in going with them and was hopeful they’d ask when the venue was ready.’

‘I left my role on New Year’s Day and started with Rob and Steve at The Maynard soon after.’

What was it like working on a venue from scratch and getting it ready to open?

‘It was a great bonding experience for Rob, Steve and I. Although I think I spent more time being a removal man in those first weeks than anything else! We painted more furniture and moved more white goods than I care to think of before the big opening of The Maynard. There were plenty of Chuckle Brothers “To me, to you” moments as we struggled to do stupid things like lift washing machines up three flights of stairs!’

‘I also lived in the venue too in what is now Room 21, before we converted the staff bedrooms to hotel bedrooms. It was the first time I’d lived away from home and it was fun and exciting.’

How was Covid for you?

‘Weird really. I struggle to remember it because it was so stop-start in what we could and couldn’t do. I know it was super hard for Rob, Steve, and head chef, Adrian, who felt the pressure. I was furloughed for most of it so I went back home and set up a little home gym. I actually built some muscle!’

‘Not long after the second lockdown in 2021, we took on The George so it was all systems go. Looking back, I really wasn’t ready for it. I was so inexperienced. We’d been shut on and off for 18 months so to then open a new venue was a lot of hard work, but rewarding too.’

‘I have fond memories of my time at The George. I met my girlfriend Katie there and also got promoted to deputy manager, working with general manager, Alice Houghton. I became a master of multitasking and volume. I learned payroll and compliance and got stuck into understanding the finances. Working alongside Alice was great. We both think very similarly, operationally, and she really enhanced my learning, experience and knowledge. I carried on leading on the training and really enjoyed that part of my role.’

‘I also benefitted working under the general manager of The Maynard Charlotte Barker. In January 2023, due to my training responsibilities, I was re-deployed back to The Maynard. It was actually a bit of a tough first few months back for me but one that was good for my growth.’

‘Looking back, I was a bit too brutal. I was maybe a little ruthless in my approach to making everything perfect. I take what I do very seriously and the pressure was on.’

‘The Maynard was bucking the trend compared to other venues that had been forced to close or drastically reduce opening hours, dishes and staff. We were busy and growing, we were winning awards as a venue and I won the Young Tourism Achiever award at the Visit Peak District and Derbyshire Tourism Awards. I felt a weight on my shoulders and a duty to uphold the standards and reputation. My approach was sometimes too hard and I definitely felt a bit lonely.’

‘Charlotte Barker helped me a lot during this time. She was amazing in passing on her ways and people skills. I benefitted from her expertise and leadership and also watching Steve and Rob in action with the team. We have this phrase ‘people over profits’ and it was good to put that into action and start to see how to get the best out of people, adapt to learning styles and lead with positive reinforcement rather than criticism.’

Longbow is big on internal progression and you got the chance to step into your dream role at The Ashford Arms. Tell us about that.

‘When The Ashford Arms started getting mentioned as a potential Longbow venue, I knew there would be an opportunity for a new general manager role and I wanted it. I applied for it, was granted an interview and did a lot of prep. I’d not had a proper interview at this point. I mentioned my first interview for the food runner job which was more of a chat than an interview. The police interview wasn’t great so this was my first big chance to showcase myself and get promoted.’

‘I prepped for weeks around working my shifts and took it so seriously. Jack Arksey who had just been appointed as our talent and succession manager interviewed me along with Rob Hattersley and Steve Atkinson. It was really hard. So hard. I fell to bits in the middle of the interview when I fluffed a question and thought I’d blown it.’

‘When Rob and Steve offered me the general manager role at the end of the interview I cried with relief, exhaustion and overwhelm. I made them cry too, which made me feel better that it wasn’t just me! What can I say? We’re an emotional bunch! We love what we do and it means the world to us. I always said I wanted to be a general manager by the time I was 25 and I have achieved that goal which feels amazing.’

What do you think makes Longbow different?

‘The people and culture for sure. The people we employ and their attitudes are amazing. It is a really good, fun and exciting place to be.’

‘What we produce in terms of our dishes is something to be really proud of and our commitment to the Peak District and using local suppliers, producers and farms comes at a cost that we aim to keep as low as possible for what we deliver.’

‘We are not trying to be anything special at Longbow Venues. We deliver quality food and drink with quality service. It’s not fine dining, it’s premium but affordable and accessible. The vibe is friendly and informal yet sophisticated and exceptional in quality. I like that about us. I’m always proud of the effect we have on our customers who love coming back to us, time and time again.’

‘I also think the development of people internally is special. At a young age you can progress through the company. With a good, hard work ethic, willingness to learn and effort you can grow professionally. Longbow is growing so fast and your career can go to new places quite quickly. I think that’s such an inspirational prospect. So many people do this job around studies or part-time and we’re here at Longbow to show that hospitality is a great career that gives you plenty of personal purpose, financial security and excellent opportunities.’

For career opportunities at Longbow Venues, please see our latest vacancies here or send your CV to Jack Arksey, talent and succession manager lifeandsoul@longbowvenues.com