Wragges to riches for Angela and family at Wetherspoon

When Angela joined Wetherspoon 26 years ago, little did she know that she would be paving the way for her family to follow her.

Originally employed in 1999 as a cleaner at The Sir Julian Huxley, Angela also worked the occasional Friday night shift as a f­loor associate, before joining the team full time and working her way up to become a shift leader.

After 11 years, Angela left the company, but returned when her daughter, Clare, became a deputy manager at The Wibbas Down Inn.

Clare has been with the company for 14 years and is currently pub manager at The Moon & Stars, where her mum, Angela, has also worked as a part-time team leader for the past three years.

Clare also started at The Sir Julian Huxley, in 2001, as a bar associate.

She was looking for a change of scenery after leaving her role as assistant store manager with McDonald’s.

She progressed to shift-leader level at the pub, before transferring to The Moon & Stars as a kitchen manager.

Clare recalled: “There were no shift manager positions available at the time I was looking to step up, so the area manager asked me to take on the kitchen manager role.

“I was there for two years.

“I then moved to The Nonsuch Inn, where I spent another two years as kitchen manager before transferring to The Wibbas Down Inn as deputy pub manager, which was where mum joined me.”

Clare continued: “I was then asked to be the holding pub manager at The Moon & Stars, until a new manager arrived.

“After six weeks, I stepped up to pub manager myself, and that was almost six years ago.”

Clare’s younger sister, Lisa, also spent four years at The Moon & Stars, transferring there from The Skylark just three months after Clare took over.

Lisa started as a kitchen associate at the Croydon pub and has since moved to The Sir Julian Huxley, in January 2025.

A shift leader, after returning from maternity leave for her second spell with the company, Lisa was also a successful charity champion at The Moon & Stars.

Clare added: “My younger sister, Louise, also spent almost two years with the company – as an under-18 at The Sir Julian Huxley.

“She now works in retail.

“My brother, Darren, once had a work experience day at the Selsdon pub too, while my nephew, Brendan, spent two years here at Penge as an under-18 ­loor associate.”

Clare concluded: “Wetherspoon is a good company to work for and has looked after us all.”