Career development is at the heart of everything we do at Stonegate. We’re passionate about supporting our people to grow, learn new skills, and become the very best they can be.
Meet Greg Fisher, one of our Area Managers, who started his Stonegate journey over 15 years ago as a Team Member at Slug and Lettuce.
Greg’s story is a great example of long-term growth and development at Stonegate, reflecting the hard work he’s put into building a successful career with us.
I started out as a part-time Team Member. The honest answer is that I needed some money once I finished university. But hospitality has always been a passion of mine; I’ve always worked in pubs, bars, restaurants, that sort of thing.
I studied Hospitality and Business at the University College of Food in Birmingham and was on the lookout for a job. I walked into the Slug & Lettuce in Brindley Place, handed in my CV, and the rest is history.
I love making people smile and creating a great experience for somebody, whether that be a great dish of food while working as a chef or serving an amazing cocktail while working in a cocktail bar. For me, it’s about creating a fabulous experience. I think that's something individual in terms of hospitality. It’s not just about pulling pints.
When I told my Dad that I wanted to work in hospitality, he said, 'You need to get a proper job’ which almost feels like a universal experience in our industry. But there are tonnes of transferable skills, and when you start to look at the people development side, that’s when it gets really exciting to see how you’re going to get the best out of your people.
In terms of Stonegate, it was all about the Stonegate community. When I joined Stonegate 14 years ago, we were going through a big expansion, which was really exciting. There’s a great culture within the company with real opportunities to grow and develop, which is something I’m very passionate about. Following the expansion and growth of the business, we had so many opportunities to work in different areas and types of businesses, from pubs to nightclubs. I feel fortunate to have been able to work across the entire business, from the late-night venues to our pub and dining formats."
I guess the big thing for me was continual development and learning a new skill set while being able to implement it in a wider role. Of course, leading a successful business is important, but for me, the best part is getting to work with a range of different people every day.
I feel like the training and development offering at Stonegate set me up for success in this role. It doesn’t necessarily teach you how to be a great Area Manager; instead, it gives you the skill set that you need to fall back on in times of uncertainty or crisis when your team is looking to you for guidance. It was a challenge, but looking back, I wouldn’t change it for the world.