Belhaven

Stuart Forbes, currently the General Manager at the Seven Kings in Dunfermline, joined Belhaven in September 2002. With a few years under his belt in other managed house pub companies, Stuart followed James Brown, his manager when they were both at M&B, as his Assistant Manager in Molly Malones, Glasgow.

So why did you decide to join Belhaven?

‘James spoke very highly of his experience with Belhaven and certainly everything he said has been proven right.’

6 years is a long time in the pub trade. Why do you think you have stayed so long?

‘Whilst there are systems and procedures in Belhaven, which you would expect in a company of its size, you still get to put your own stamp on things. I have always been given a chance to try things. My career has really taken off since I joined Belhaven.’

What has been your proudest moment in Belhaven?

‘Probably when I was selected to open the company’s largest unit, the Seven Kings. It has been the top performing unit in sales turnover since it opened in November 2006. I was able to get involved in the project from the very early stages and, as it was a brownfield site, we had to recruit a full team and market the new concept.’

What about your own training and development?

‘I have been lucky to work with great line managers, from James at the start of my Belhaven career when I was an Assistant Manager in Molly Malones, to Iain Fisher (Operations Manager) who gave me my first Manager role at the Foundry in Galashiels when it was launched in 2003. Iain has been a constant source of encouragement over recent years and my development has been a mixture of formal classroom training and on job coaching.

So where do you go from here? Running the largest Belhaven outlet is a huge achievement so what comes next?

‘I really enjoy working with my team and developing their skills. We still have the same kitchen team and 15 front of house staff that we recruited prior to the Seven Kings opening, which is unusual in this business. Also, the Seven Kings is often used as a training house for new managers and I really enjoy that aspect of the business.’

It is testament to Stuart’s abilities as a Manager that he is constantly sought out to induct new managers into Belhaven, and he is regularly called upon to support recruitment events throughout Central Scotland. Operations Manager, Iain Fisher comments, “Stuart is enthusiastic and highly self motivated but, above all, it is his high standards and passion for excellent customer service which is critical to his success. He understands the pub business and knows how to build a team around him has been a significant strength.”