Hannah and four of her children find success at Sandford House

Wetherspoon’s customers (of a certain age) may remember a 1970s American television family drama series called The Waltons.

Staff and customers at Sandford House have their very own ‘family affair’ in the kitchen at the Cambridgeshire pub – known as The Watsons.

Part-time kitchen associate and mum Hannah joined the team when the pub first opened and, over time, has been joined by four of her seven children.

Kitchen associate Beth and kitchen team leader Hope both started working in the kitchen at the pub and hotel, at the age of 16, just after completing their GCSEs.

They now work with their brothers, kitchen associate Ethan, who was 17 when he joined the team after his college studies, and the newest recruit Finley.

Hannah said: “I have always told them, if they want their own money, that they have to earn it. As soon as they were old enough, they have all done exactly that.”

Hope’s twin brother Callum is the only sibling of working age not with Wetherspoon, while younger brothers Theo and Noah are both still at school.

Even Hannah’s mum worked at the pub as a cleaner, before her retirement, alongside her son, Hannah’s brother Adam, until he moved away.

Hannah continued: “Hope is currently on maternity leave, but both she and Beth, as well as Ethan, absolutely love their job.

“Finley wants to go on to university to study forensic science, but I’m sure that he will still work at the pub during holidays.”

She added: “Beth and I don’t work the same shifts, as we juggle our jobs with sharing childcare for her two-year-old son.

“These days, I always work the early shift.

“I am very comfortable working at the pub. It really is like a huge family.

“The whole team works well together – and many of us have been together for a long time.”

Kitchen manager Gareth and kitchen shift leader Abi have also been at Sandford House since it first opened.

Beth described working with her family as ‘challenging at first’, but added: “I love it now. It’s the best thing – and we are all family here… all the staff.

“We all know one another really well – and that helps to build a good team.”

Hannah concluded: “We all know what we are doing and work well together.

“We’re a well-oiled machine.”