NAMESAKE ALREADY HAS NAME OVER THE DOOR AS SHE COMPLETES JOSEPH HOLT’S PIONEERING PUB-RUNNING COURSE
Ellie Roebuck has long dreamed of running her own pub, and at just 23 she’s already working her way up at her local.
But, by a stroke of pure coincidence, she already has her name over the door. Since the place where Ellie works – The Roebuck in Alkrington – already shares her name. Little wonder customers routinely assume the pub is a family enterprise, when there is absolutely no connection.
“People always think it must be ours,” she laughs. “It’s such a coincidence. But I do want to own my own pub one day, so I’m more than happy with the association. I look up at the name and get inspiration.”
The pub, owned by the Joseph Holt brewery, was once known as Thornberries. When the Manchester-based company bought and refurbished the site, customers were asked what the pub should be called. Since it had originally been named The Roebuck when it was built in 1961, the answer was a resounding call to restore its historic name. Following a £1.5 million revamp, The Roebuck reopened with a full interior and exterior overhaul.
Ellie began working behind the bar at 16, took a three-year break to try other career options, and returned two years ago. She soon became a bar supervisor and was keen to embrace Joseph Holt’s philosophy of supporting career progression from entry level upwards. She is now one of 17 employees who have just completed the company’s pioneering progression programme.
The 176-year-old family brewery, which owns 127 pubs across Lancashire and the North West, has broken new ground with its bespoke training scheme, which was designed to help employees at every level advance their careers. This week, the brewery held a graduation ceremony for those who completed the course. The scheme was devised by Chloe Deakin, training and development manager at Joseph Holt, who began her own career in pubs as a teenager. By 19, she was running her own pub in Chester, becoming one of the UK’s youngest landladies.
Said Chloe: “Everyone who joins Joseph Holt – even if it’s just for a casual bar role is encouraged to make a long term and fulfilling career with the company. Our progression programme really makes that possible.”
The course covers leadership, communication, recruitment, retention and staff relations, alongside hands-on experience in kitchens, rota planning and the practicalities of running a food-led business. Participants also complete wellbeing and self-awareness training to help develop the mindset needed to successfully manage a pub. All staff can apply, with a selected group chosen each year following interviews.
At the graduation ceremony at The Woodthorpe in Prestwich, certificates were presented by Richard Kershaw, CEO of Joseph Holt and the fifth generation of the Holt family to run the 176-year-old business.
He stressed that entry-level roles such as bar work should be seen as the beginning of a much bigger journey.
“Instead of seeing the job as a stopgap, people who join our company can build a fulfilling career in hospitality and even run one of our pubs. Age is no barrier, whether you’re a school leaver or returning to work after a break, Joseph Holt offers the chance to pursue a skilled, stable and socially vital career. Which is why our progression course is there to make this happen.”
For Ellie, who has already enjoyed a stint as a relief manager, the future looks bright.
“When I first started, I thought working in a pub might just be a stopgap,” she says. “But I loved everything about it – the variety of customers, the social side, and the way pubs bring people together. I’d love to have my own place one day. And for now, I’m enjoying working in one that shares my name.”
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