by Tony Halstead Pub operator JD Wetherspoon is throwing a jobs lifeline to the over-50s by launching a new recruitment drive to attract older staff into its ranks.
The company is exploring a range of new methods to attract more mature staff, because it believes this age group represents an important part of JD Wether-spoon's retail offering.
Flexible working arrangements and extended leave are just two ideas that could form part of a new "older persons" employment package for the company.
A total of 45 Wetherspoon managers are over 50, but chairman Tim Martin thinks the company could do better.
"We positively encourage people in their 50s to join us and while 45 is not bad for a young company like us, we could do better," said Martin.
"Mature people do not always like to kick their heels about the house and the attraction of early retirement can quickly wear off."
He added: "Some may want to consider dusting down their CVs and applying to Wetherspoon".
Wetherspoon's personnel and training director Su Beacham-Cacioppi said the company's expansion plans meant that new opportunities were being created all the time.
"We believe older staff are very important and benefit both Wetherspoon and our individual pubs in several ways," said Beacham-Cacioppi.
"They often reflect the customer base of a pub and offer exceptional service to customers as they often have very high expectations themselves.
"They bring lots of experience and knowledge from other industries and jobs from which we can all learn."
Wetherspoon employs more than 15,000 staff in its 630 pubs and says there are abundant opportunities for people of all ages.
She added: "Older people offer reliability and stability to a pub and have a positive outlook in terms of hard and rewarding work.
"Our message is clear if you want to work for Wetherspoon and are good enough, age is not important."
George's win proves pub life can begin at 64 Sixty-four-year-old licensee, George Cunningham, has proved that age is no barrier to success.
His pub, the George at Southwark in south London, has just been named Laurel Pub of the Year.
Cunningham has been in the trade since he was 34, running pubs in the Kent area for Whitbread before taking on his latest job at the George six years ago.
"If you are good enough and enthusiastic enough, it does not matter how old you are," he said.
"Our chef is 50 and has been at the pub for 28 years and my restaurant manager is 40, so we have a great deal of experience in key positions.
"On the other hand we have staff who are in their 20s, so there is a real mix of different age groups."
Cunningham agreed that older people could bring different factors to a pub and were more easily able to relate to customers of the same age group.
"Their presence seems to help bind a staff team together because they have so much experience of life in general," he said.
Although Cunningham is now approaching the standard retirement age, he has no thoughts of taking things easy.
His working day starts at 6.30am and often continues right through until closing time at night.
"This is a great hands-on job and one in which you never get bored," he said.
The George is a Grade I-listed building, owned by The National Trust, and steeped in history, dating from 1676 when it was rebuilt following a major fire.
It is the only remaining galleried pub in London and was once frequented by Charles Dickens.
In June, the George will add another string to its bow when it stages its first wedding after obtaining a licence.
Laurel revealed that 130 managers in its pub estate were over 50, underlining the company's positive approach to employing experienced operators.
"We try and fit the manager to a specific pub environment and many of our older managers run more traditional tavern-style houses," said communications director, Maureen Heffernan.
Age is no barrier for late starters Licensees Bill and Christine Moulding were late entrants to the pub trade, pulling their first pints when they were in their late 40s.
Today Bill, 53, and Christine, 52, are managers of Wetherspoon's White Lion at Worksop in Nottingham and love every minute of their job.
The couple worked as a hairdresser and a nurse respectively, but both found themselves at the career crossroads at the same time.
Both were regulars at a Wetherspoon pub in Gateshead and thought the company would be good to work for.
"At the age of 49 I began working in a pub for the first time," Christine recalls.
"When we applied for our jobs, it was made crystal clear that our age would not be a factor.
"During the past four years, we have been genuinely surprised and pleased with the help we have received from the company," she said.
"We undertook many training courses and last year became managers of our own pub," she added.
"The job is hard work but rewarding, and we would encourage any person of our age to work for Wetherspoon.
"Also, which other publicans can say they work only a 48-hour week?