Publican staff get behind the bar
I've abseiled down a very tall building in a blizzard. I've walked through Manchester city centre at four in the morning wearing a very short skirt. I've even worked in a jewellery store and had to tell a bride-to-be that her wedding rings won't arrive in time for the big day. But I don't think I've ever been quite so frightened as I was when told I would be working for a day at Yates's Leicester Square.
You see, we at The Publican often get invitations to events. Things like, come to the opening of our pub, sample our new beer. Things like that. But every now and again, someone, somewhere thinks it's funny to challenge us to put our pens down, get out from behind our desks and come and work a stint behind a bar.
So when the invitation came from Yates's to work a busy Friday shift at one of their flagship pubs, of course we were duty-bound to accept. A crack team of Publican staff was put forward, selected for their complete lack of bar work experience and, importantly, on how much pleasure other Publican staff members would derive from watching them squirm.
Enter Roland Ellison, web content manager. Before we even got to the bar, Roland had let the side down by admitting to having previously worked at a pub in between shifts at Somerfield during his student days. Then there's Matt Eley, news editor. He loves a pint of lager but can he pour one? And me.
Not only have I never poured a pint or stood behind a bar, I'm notorious in my family for dropping whole plates of food en route from kitchen to dining table. So in a bar that can do in excess of 300 covers on a weekday afternoon, I should be fine.
10.00am First things first - a meeting with general manager Darren Earl and a walk around the building to get our bearings and locate fire exits. The bar, which sits next to the Odeon Leicester Square, the site of many a film première, is already open and there are customers sitting tucking into breakfast.
We're also shown the till - a frightening contraption designed to strike terror into the hearts of every new staff member and irritation into every customer who gets served by them.
As bar worker Raquel whizzes between food order screens and drinks, pointing out options for special offers and side orders, it's clear the till is easy to use once you get used to it. When she's finished I realise I haven't taken in a single bit of what I've just been told. Oh dear.
12.00pm We're divided into two teams. Roland and Matt are to work the bar first while I wait on tables for an hour. Brilliant! I'm pleased. It's a Friday and it's also a pay day. Come 1pm, Darren expects the pub to be filled with office workers treating themselves to lunch. We're all given rather fetching bright orange T-shirts to wear, and away we go.
I'm to put sauces and cutlery on each table when an order comes in, deliver the food, check back on customers and then clear the table afterwards. Sounds simple but there's a complicated system of receipt tearing and shuffling to signal what stage an order is up to. To top it off, breakfasts are still being ordered and the full English comes on a massive plate, all the easier to drop.
I get used to the table numbers and start enjoying myself, then it's time to swap. It's a bit of a relief as the temptation to nick onion rings off particularly tasty-looking burgers is getting too much.
1.00pm Matt and I work the bar while Roland serves. As if the fear of the till and of pulling appalling pints were not enough, a thirsty Publican team have arrived to critique our efforts.
The bar is massive and finding my way to the right products and glasses is a challenge. I get told off twice for putting Guinness in a John Smith's glass but all the Guinness glasses are hiding. I'm terrified that someone is going to order a pitcher of cocktail and even though Matt's been on the till for more than an hour, he's still looking terrified (see pic above).
3.00pm Lunch break over and it's Roland and I behind the bar. An orange juice, a cranberry juice, a couple of lemonades and a gin and tonic later, it happens… someone orders a pint of Foster's.
The first pint goes brilliantly and I start feeling confident. Two more pints, and it's still going well. Area manager Paul Walton arrives just as I'm pouring a half and it's game over. At least 60 per cent of it is head and no matter how much I keep pouring some away or tilting the glass, the foam just keeps coming. Customer not impressed. Oooops.
4.00pm Thankfully it's a sunny day and the predicted crowds are not as bonkers as expected. The afternoon flies by and before we know it, it's 5pm and home time. So far Roland has annoyed a man by giving him the wrong meal, Matt is still terrified of the till and I still can't pour a proper pint. It's been a productive day. Yates's got 18 hours of free labour and The Publican was able to demonstrate to its readers, in a practical way, how important it is to fully train your staff. You can thank us later.
A big thanks to Darren, Raquel, Jo, Laura and the rest of the team at Yates's Leicester Square for putting up with us for the day!
