Brits Abroad – John Dowding
John Dowding, operations manager for the John Bull Pub Company, is responsible for six pubs in the South of France and one in Paris. He tells Neil Gerrard how he is trying to encourage the French to drink pints of ale
Q What does your job entail?
I look after two pubs in Montpellier, two in Toulouse, two in Bordeaux and one in Paris. I ensure their smooth day-to-day running and support the managers in growing the businesses. The company is a trading division of Bedford's Charles Wells and it has ambitious acquisition plans, so I am also helping to find and develop new sites.
Q What encouraged you to work in France?
My partner is French, and the chance to return to where we met was too good an opportunity to turn down. Initially I came because of my university studies - I decided to move here to improve my French before starting university. I came back as part of my studies, and then at the end returned to see a different part of France.
Q How it has enhanced your career?
This is my dream job, combining a management position, English pubs in France (I spent a lot of time the other side of the bar when I lived in France previously) and allowing me finally to use my degree in a working environment.
Q What do you like about it?
The opportunity to create something - the business is in its infancy and it's good to be able to put things in place to create the role for future people. We're a tight unit but everyone has a real passion for what they do and is focused on providing a great English pub experience in France. There's a lot of scope for further expansion and you are carried along with the momentum that the company has behind it.
Q What do you dislike about it?
Currently nothing - it's my dream job!
Q How does hospitality in France differ from the UK?
At a basic level it is exactly the same, providing an excellent service to customers. However, the mentality is different. The French mentality is to have a half, or an aperitif such as a pastis, so we are battling against that to convince them that pints of ale are the way forward. People are quite happy to come to a pub and buy a coffee, and spend the afternoon drinking that one coffee. In general the French tend to choose Continental-style lagers in preference to traditional English ale which is one of the mainstays of UK pubs, so we face the double challenge of encouraging customers to trial our full range of beers and consider drinking pints rather than half pints.
Q What could UK pubs learn from those in France?
I think what we have done is to successfully go back to basics; the pubs here create an environment and an atmosphere that we used to have in the UK of a traditional country pub where people can relax in the surroundings and enjoy the beer.
Initially the French find our bar service an unusual proposition as they're used to waiter service at the table. This is one of the quirky differences that make John Bull sites so popular. Our customers love the informality that this brings - and this is particularly so when we have events such as quizzes or are showing live sport, as it gives them the chance to move around and see other friends in the bar. However, in the right circumstances, some English pubs could benefit from turning things round and offering a table service when a more ordered and formal level of service is appropriate.
Q What do you think France could learn from the UK?
Traditionally French customer service is very impersonal, waiters feel as though just the fact they bring you a drink is sufficient - a smile or extras are unnecessary, and you should tip them because they deserve it purely for doing the job. Within the John Bull pubs, we're proving that a pub can create a real feeling of community and belonging and that service with a smile doesn't need to be an optional extra.
CV JOHN DOWDING
â- 1999-2001 Barman at Est Est Est, Newcastle
â- 2002-03 Bar manager, Atlanta Bar/Restaurant, Toulouse
â- 2003-09 Area manager, Lidl, UK
â- 2010 Operations manager, France, Charles Wells
