NEWS

Fireside chats help support the 'family'

Ringwood Brewery offers employees a caring and progressive environment, in which they can have fun as well as excel. Managing director David Welsh says "We prefer social controls to hierarchical ones. We are just a big family related by our involvement in the brewery." Welsh still meets every member of staff annually for "little fireside chats".

His personal involvement has had a big impact: 82% of his staff find him inspiring, and the same number says he runs the company on sound moral principles, while 88% have faith in his leadership. the latter places Ringwood in the top 10 SMEs for that measure, but, surprisingly, overall ratings for middle managers are exactly the opposite, ranking Ringwood 95th.

Ringwood Brewery was the dream of Peter Austin, a former head brewer at the Hull Brewery in Yorkshire, who set up the business in 1978, after retiring. Welsh took over soon after. The firm has a small estate of pubs, produces 8m pints of beer a year, and now also owns the Chateau de Fayolle vineyard in southwest France.

According to staff, brewery socialising tends to be spontaneous, and it promotes a sense of unity. Quality assurance manager Vicki Healey says: "We have fun, but the management doesn't crack the whip. They know the work will be done."

It works. Eight out of 10 staff say colleagues are fun to work with, and 83% are confident in the abilities of colleagues. Just 2 SMEs can better Ringwood's 90% score for pride among the workforce.

The firm offers staff a yearly £500 personal development allowance and interest-free loans. Glen Knight, who is training for a class 2 LGV vehicle licence, has used £250 of this allowance to join a golf club, with the rest going on tuition. He is able to afford golf clubs via the loan.

Pictured top left: Managing Director David Welsh toasting their place in the top 100.

Pictured below right: Tasting Responsibility - Vicki Healey.

Pictures by Allan Hutchings and supplied by Ringwood Brewery.