Pub Manager Mathew Healey talks about his pub experience
Working behind a bar is not easy at the best of times, but when Cardiff’s Millennium stadium hosts the series of international rugby matches, serving food and drink to thousands can be hellish. This is something Mathew Healey, manager at the Prince of Wales pub on St. Mary’s Street, is all too familiar with.
After falling into pub work after graduating from Lancaster University, Mathew, 23, quickly climbed the ladder within the Wetherspoons pub chain attributing his success to common sense and a keen interest in his job. He has been working for the company for over four years, first beginning in a smaller pub in Gloucestershire before moving to the Prince of Wales.
Although taking a while to answer, Mathew speaks highly of the company: “Like most people on bad days, I’ve often thought of moving pub chains and taking a new job, but from experience of others, I have found the grass is not greener on the other side and the internal structures of Wetherspoons are the best in the business and therefore it’s not worth going anywhere else.”
Cardiff’s match days
The match days bring a huge increase to businesses in Cardiff’s city centre. Wetherspoons, in particular the Prince of Wales which is barely a five minute walk from the stadium, expects massive sales on the days the Millennium stadium hosts the games.
Wetherspoons has to make changes to allow for this extra custom. “It requires complete change in set-up of the pub for the extra trade and to comply with local event laws.” To prepare for the extra custom, the Prince of Wales increases its staff numbers, brings in specialised products and the pub layout is alternated to allow for more people. Although these match days can be a fun challenge for staff, he pointed out that the extra hours are not easy on the staff. He joked that, “the upcoming shifts he had for each of the match days would definitely take their toll!”
He also pointed to another negative impact of the huge increase of custom. The Prince of Wales regulars are unlikely to expect their usual service. “Unfortunately the usual customer service and choice offered to regular customers has to take a backseat on match days as we have to cater for the mass influx of visitors.”
Although match days mean Mathew and his colleagues endure draining shifts throughout the rugby season and regulars are unlikely to expect the usual Wetherspoons service, he does believe the extra custom that hosting the international rugby games brings in is beneficial for Cardiff’s economy.
Thinking of the future
At the moment Mathew is enjoying his time at the Prince of Wales, and in the Wetherspoons chain. Although there is room for promotion in the company, this may not be what he decides to do forever. He talked passionately about his desire to run his own business: “If I had enough money I would love to open my own pub or bar but that is something very far into the future”.