Pub operator Brakspear has appointed Simone Brown to a newly-created Head of People role, as the company looks to bolster the attraction, engagement, retention and development of team members. Brown will work primarily within the 10-strong Honeycomb Houses managed estate.
Brown has worked in a number of HR and people development roles across retail and hospitality, including positions with Intercontinental Hotel Group, Elizabeth Arden and The Hyve Group events company.
Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies said: “We’re delighted to welcome Simone to the Brakspear family and confident that her experience and skills will be an enormous asset to us. Our pubs are nothing without the people who work in them, so this new role is a strategically important one for us.
“The Honeycomb Houses’ ethos of ‘Our House, Your Home’ relies on team members to live and breathe it. Simone will play a vital role in helping to recruit the right people, instilling the Honeycomb values and creating an environment where our team members provide the outstanding customer service that puts our pubs ahead of the competition.”
Brown will work on all aspects of attraction, engagement, retention and development, liaising with colleagues in training, operations and marketing, at head office and pub level. As part of Honeycomb Houses’ commitment to its team members, they have just launched an Early Pay scheme giving quicker access to wages, are developing a new career pathway and are holding their first ever Team Day and awards presentation this September, attended by all 250 employees.
Brown said: “Moving to Brakspear is a great opportunity. Honeycomb Houses are wonderful pubs run by talented GMs and teams, and I’m looking forward to helping to further embed the ‘Our House, Your Home’ culture so that every team member is reaching their potential, and our pubs are delivering the best experience to every customer on every visit.”
At the same time, John Gormally is joining Honeycomb Houses as an interim operations director, to cover for maternity leave. With a wealth of operations experience gained at Pitcher & Piano and the Revere Pub Group, Gormally will look after the Cotswolds pub estate, while also adding value across the wider Honeycomb House estate.
