Career move has put James at the heart of Ascot’s village community

Having only expected to be in Ascot for a couple of days, James Saunders is now at the heart of the village community and anticipating another successful year in business managing The Stag pub.

Appointed as the pub’s manager in September 2009, James has found job security in a position he loves and has used his skills to help the High Street pub become one of Greene King’s busiest venues.

Now he’s urging others to get to grips with the licensed trade as part of a recruitment drive by his employer Greene King. The leading pub chain is on the hunt for enthusiastic and hard working people, with a passion for customer service, to become high quality pub managers and follow in James’ footsteps.

James, 28, originally got a taste for the pub industry while studying for a business degree and working behind bars to fund his studies. Having discovered bar work came naturally to him, he looked for a way to pursue a pub-based career and use his business knowledge.

Originally from Surrey, James stayed working in pubs and progressed his way up to management roles. He contacted Greene King to ask about available positions when the pub he was managing went put up for sale. Having recognised his determination and ambition, Greene King hired James and sent him on the company’s management training course.

“People will say that once you’ve worked in the pub industry for a few years there’s nothing more you can learn,” said James, who loved every moment of his training.

“But there is always more you can learn, and Greene King provides training in everything from computer skills to cellar management. At the end of the course I felt like I had truly been ingratiated, as if I had been with the company for years, and fully equipped to take on the management role.”

In August 2009, James became a relief manager for Greene King, travelling around to look after the company’s pubs when managers were on holiday. When he was sent to The Stag, he only expected to be there for four days, but he never left!

“I’d only ever been to Ascot for the racing before,” said James. He joked: “They obviously recognised that I was posh enough to fit in with the locals, and that my champagne knowledge was excellent enough to be of use during Royal Ascot.”

Using his business initiative to capitalise on major events such as Royal Ascot has helped James to create a thriving venue. The pub, which employs between 10 and 30 people throughout the year, hosts events including outside champagne bars throughout the week.

“We manage some of the biggest events of the pub’s calendar around Royal Ascot,” said James. “It’s a challenging and busy time, but it’s also great fun. The Queen is driven past the pub each day, and we all congregate outside to wave her past.”

During his time at quirkily-styled pub, which features huge chandeliers and giant bottles of champagne on display, James has not only grown the business, but also his family. Living on site with his partner Hayley, the couple have welcomed the arrival of their son Danny, now four months old, since they joined the pub.

“Living above the pub is a great advantage,” said James. “You are there to deal with any problems and it is easy to socialise with the customers so you feel a real part of the pub life. You also feel like an integral part of the community as people recognise you when you walk down the street and always wave or stop and have a chat.”