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Eighteen years in hotels, bars and kitchens. Now working for myself.

One person, in my first year of working for myself. Before that, 18 years in hospitality, starting as a kitchen porter at 17 and working my way through bars, hotels and a business of my own.

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Why I went on my own

I kept doing the same jobs. Now I do them for other people.

In most jobs I've had, I ended up being the one who counted the stock, sorted the rota, trained the new starter and asked why the numbers didn't add up. Running my own place showed me how little time an owner has for any of that, and how much it matters.

Now I do those jobs for independent hotels, restaurants and bars: counting stock properly, stepping in when a manager has gone, and helping bars sell better drinks.

What working with me looks like

  • I do the count myself, and I write the report myself.
  • You deal with me, not an account manager.
  • I tell you what I find, including the parts that are awkward to hear.
  • I'm building this one client at a time, so every one of them matters.

Where I learned it

Three things I bring from the jobs I've done.

Fine dining

Standards are my bread and butter.

I've run service in a three AA Rosette dining room, where every detail gets noticed: the timing, the glassware, how a table is cleared. I hold that standard whatever the venue.

Openings

Setting things up properly.

I was part of the team that opened a country house hotel to the public for the first time. I saw what it takes to start well: standards written down, a team trained before the doors open, and systems that still work once the opening buzz has gone.

Ownership

I've done the owner's jobs.

Running my own place meant doing everything: the business plan, the broker, the designers and tradesmen, choosing the EPOS system and the accountant, hiring and training the team. I understand the pressure an owner is under because I've been under it.

Where I've worked

Eighteen years, mostly in hotels.

17

Kitchen porter, then the barBars, a nightclub, a bistro and a community restaurant, while studying at university.

2012

Bars supervisor, country house hotelWhere I learned stocktaking, from someone who had built and sold a stocktaking business.

2016

Food and beverage managerAt a hotel in the Scottish Highlands.

2018

Hotel opening teamBar manager, then food and beverage manager. Scottish Hotel Awards Bar Manager of the Year 2019. Mentor for hospitality apprentices.

2023

General manager, city innA team of up to 30 and a renovation, while turnover grew by more than half.

2024

A business of my ownBuilt from scratch, with a team of up to 20. It taught me more than any job title.

2026

Working for myselfInterim management at hotels in Scotland and England, stocktaking for hotels and a city centre bar, and large event bars.

How I work

Look first. Then get stuck in.

I don't arrive with a ready made answer. Every venue is different, and anything I suggest has to work for the people running it.

I find out what's working and what isn't, then I get involved. The aim is to leave you with clearer numbers, better systems or a more confident team than when I arrived.

Having worked with Aaron in both an operational leadership capacity and as an external service provider, I have every confidence in his abilities, integrity and professionalism.
General Manager, Scottish hotel · former line manager and stocktaking client
Wine
WSET Level 2 Award in Wines
Whisky
Whisky Ambassador
Licensing
Scottish Personal Licence holder
Training
Workplace mentor and internal verifier, hospitality apprenticeships

Tell me what you need.

Based in Aberdeenshire, working with hospitality businesses across Scotland and the UK.

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