Saturday 15 November 2014
Our Team
Name: Charlotte Knowles
Role at The Old Stocks: General Manager
More about me …
I went to drama school originally and trained in acting, and I worked as an actor and a singer for about five or six years. But in between any acting jobs, I worked in the hospitality industry to support myself. Over time, I realised that this was actually what I enjoyed most!
Most of my time in the hospitality industry has been spent managing one of the biggest food-led pubs in the Premium Country Dining brand for Mitchells & Butlers. It was great experience, and fantastic at establishing the high standards I’ve come to expect at any establishment in my care, but I decided that I wanted to be part of something that really felt like a home from home. The Old Stocks Inn is the perfect place for that. Our team is like a family, and we want people to have that warm welcome, with great food and drink, and rooms that you can really settle down in and make your own for as long as you’re with us.
During the refurbishment …
I’m currently working on recruitment – we’re looking to hire some great people to work at The Old Stocks, and I’m in the process of putting together our job adverts and our development packages. We want to offer people a great career path, so getting our training and development procedures right is really important.
I’m also focusing on what we’ll be offering when we reopen next year. It’s effectively going to be a brand new business, so it needs a lot of creativity and innovation to get going. Everyone on the team has played a big part in this, but I’ve been making sure that we all have a say and that we keep on moving forward.
I’m looking forward to …
When we reopen, I’m looking forward to surprising people more than anything! We’ll be giving them a really unique experience, so I can’t wait to see what our current customers think and meet new guests who are looking for something a little different. It’s an experience that we’ve created from scratch, and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far, so I’m looking forward to see how it will grow and develop over time.
The Old Stocks Inn is different because …
The customer is at the heart of all our decisions, whether that’s our service, design or even the suppliers we use. As well as introducing new design and décor, we’re bringing some new thinking to the business, and that’s what will make all the difference.
My favourite Cotswolds discovery …
My partner and I aren’t originally from the Cotswolds, but since moving over here, we’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to get out and explore. We love going on walks, and we’ve discovered this great walk between Upper and Lower Slaughter. You walk through the fields, through the kissing gates and along a beautiful, babbling stream, ending up at the water mill. There’s a fantastic vintage shop there, and the people that work there are very friendly and recommended a lot of things for us to see and do in the area.
However, my favourite memory from our time here so far is coming down here for the first time, and sitting in the Porch House on a cold, January evening with a bottle of Rioja and a chocolate brownie. The blues were playing, and it was just really calm and still and lovely. That’s what the Cotswolds is all about to me – having time for yourself, and being able to enjoying those little indulgences.
Foodie heaven …
I love how fresh all of the ingredients are around here – even simple things like salads are just so crisp and full of flavour. My favourite foodie discovery is the milk dispenser outside The Kingham Plough. It gives out glass bottles for you to fill with Nell’s organic dairy milk and take home, which I think is just amazing. You’d never see anything like that in the city, and I love finding all of those little things that make a difference every time I go out to eat.