Nicki awarded after 20-year journey from kitchen to manager’s dugout

When Nicki joined the team at The Sir Thomas Gerard in October 2004, she was working as a part-time kitchen associate.

With two young children, she spent six hours a week in the pub’s kitchen, preparing and setting up, while they were at nursery school.

Twenty years later, pub manager Nicki is pictured with her 20-year long-service certificate, in a presentation at the pub.

Area manager Mike is also pictured with a bottle of Champagne for Nicki to celebrate.

Nicki said: “I eventually took on a full-time role and became kitchen manager at the pub when Mike became area manager, and I have never moved.”

Nicki stepped up, in 2020, to cover for pub manager Christine, subsequently taking over from Christine, who still works at the pub as a shift manager.

Nicki added: “We have so many long-serving staff members on the team, including Christine, who has been here since the pub first opened in December 1997.

“The regular customers like that consistency, with the same faces behind the bar – and the stability is great for the staff too.”

Some of the other long-serving staff members are team leader Cath (23 years), shift manager Sandro (six years), bar associate Paula (11 years), kitchen associate Bethany (six years), team leader Michelle (14 years) and shift leader David (12 years).