Who says that working in the licensed trade isn’t a ‘proper’ career? Neil Bowie, general manager of the Montpeliers group’s Candy Bar in Edinburgh, chose hospitality over university. He tells Karen Peattie why
AS Neil Bowie juggles chatting to customers in Edinburgh’s Candy Bar and dealing with a query from a member of staff he’s clearly very much at home and enjoying what he does. The 23-year-old has been general manager of the George Street basement premises for just a few weeks – after 18 months as assistant GM – and is relishing the challenge.
Neil is one of the new breed of young professionals who has seen beyond the stereotypical perception that working in the hospitality industry isn’t a career, it’s a stop-gap to see you through college or university, or a job to tide you over until something better comes along or you decide what you really want to do with your life.
A former pupil of the prestigious Stewart’s Melville College and a keen rugby player, Neil left school full of enthusiasm for a future career in sports science, embarking on a course at Edinburgh’s Napier University in 2011. Like generations of students before him he got a job in a bar – in Neil’s case at Indigo Yard, the popular courtyard-style bar and restaurant opened by the award-winning Montpeliers (Edinburgh) in 1996.
“I didn’t know what to expect but I really enjoyed it because there was a great group of staff and I was in a team where people encouraged me even though I seemed to spend a lot of time polishing cutlery,” he recalls. “As time went on I found myself getting more interested and after two years’ studying I realised that university wasn’t my calling in life.
“I was working with an experienced team so had the chance to learn a lot quite quickly, working as a waiter and then a bartender plus there was a lot of training available with the Montpeliers group which is not what I expected in this industry.”
Taking time out for four months to travel in New Zealand, Neil returned to Indigo Yard in the knowledge that he’d definitely made the right decision to leave university. “I’m still only 23 and this is my first GM’s job so it’s impossible to predict how my career will pan out but I’m exactly where I want to be at the moment,” he says.
“I love working and I can see a long-term career path with the company because of the training it offers which in turn leads to great opportunities and being responsible for your own outlet and team. It’s challenging because no two days are the same and you have to be constantly looking for new ideas and ways of growing your sales. I get a real buzz from that.”
Jamie McComb, operations director at Montpeliers, explains how the group’s training programmes are structured. “It’s ultimately all about providing the best possible experience for our customers and exceeding their expectations,” he says. “So we’re looking to recruit staff who want to be part of a company that is at the forefront of the hospitality industry and doing things differently from our competitors.
“Everyone has to go through the Montpeliers induction process which is a two-week training programme – whether you’re coming to us from an award winning bar or you’re a student working part-time,” Jamie continues. “We have devised our own training programmes because we want to be consistent with our message, be that in the way we serve cocktails or coffee or food.”
Montepliers, which operates seven bars, restaurants, clubs and hotels in Edinburgh – Indigo Yard, Candy Bar, Tiger Lily, Lulu, Rick’s, Montpeliers and Opal Lounge – is credited for devising Scotland’s first Cocktail Academy. Its FLOW Hospitality Training division has since become established as a national e-learning training provider using a range of interactive online modules which cover all of the key areas of service and legislative training for staff working in the licensed trade and hospitality industry.
Modules are accredited by the National Skills Academy and endorsed by both the Institute of Hospitality and SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority).
Neil, meanwhile, has followed both the bar and floor training paths at Montpeliers and found himself in sessions with colleagues “far more experienced than me”. This, he believes, is beneficial because “you learn from them and see how well they’ve progressed in their careers and that motivates you”.
He’s also benefited from brewery visits to learn how certain products are made, visited other suppliers such as butchers and participated in bartender focus forums to review new products and discuss industry trends.
“Everyone can get involved,” says Neil. “I’ve got my own team of 25 people now, including chefs, floor staff and bar staff – and I want to help nurture them and help those who want to progress get onto the next step of the ladder in the same way I was encouraged.”
Jamie adds: “While we will employ externally if that individual is right for a specific role we want to promote people from within so when we have someone like Neil who understands what we’re trying to achieve as a business and has the energy and drive to help us achieve our goals then we’ll do what we can to push them.
“Neil was very much heading in the right direction when he was at Indigo Yard and became a key-holder so he had a good level of responsibility before he moved to Candy – I’m delighted he’s progressed so well within the company and he’s a great example for others to aspire to.”
At Candy, Neil was part of the team that orchestrated a change in approach to food, working with the chefs to create new menus with everything prepared and made from scratch in the kitchen. Food sales are up 22% compared with this time last year so that’s a strategy that’s paying off. “We’ve also introduced specials deals to get more people in at lunchtime,” Neil explains.
“There’s a lot of competition in George Street but also a lot of opportunity so we need to offer customers a point of difference to catch that lunchtime trade from the offices round about then the after-work trade. For the Candy Bar it’s important to keep tweaking and adapting our offer – we need to keep on top of trends.
“There’s no hiding, either, because the company runs a mystery customer programme – it keeps us on our toes.”
Neil’s message to other young people thinking about progressing their career in the industry? “Go for it,” he says. “Explore your options, ask your manager about upcoming opportunities, work hard, do all the training you can and enjoy it. It is hard work and the hours can be anti-social but there are rewards and a lot of job satisfaction.”
Find out more about Montpeliers at www.montpeliers.co.uk