From pot washer to seven pubs – my story

Hi everyone,

I thought this week I’d share a little of the story behind Freespirit and how we got to the seven pubs we run today.

I’m a farmer’s son. My dad and grandad were both farmers, working with cattle and arable land, so I grew up around fields, early mornings and plenty of hard work.

But hospitality got me early. At 14, I started washing pots at the iconic Butchers Arms in Priors Hardwick for the Pires family, and from then on I knew this was the world I wanted to be part of.

From there, I worked locally at places including The Wharf Inn at Fenny Compton and The Hollybush at Priors Marston, learning the trade from the ground up. Cellars, kitchens, bars, you name it. Then, at 22, I took the leap and opened my first pub in Lower Boddington.

A lot has happened since then. Today, Freespirit has seven pubs, an events business and a gin distillery. There have been some incredible highs, but there have also been plenty of difficult moments along the way.

If there’s one thing this industry has taught me, it’s resilience. You take the knock, learn from it, dust yourself off and keep going. Hospitality can test you, but when you genuinely love what you do, you find a way forward.

Each of our seven pubs is completely different. They have their own character, their own teams and their own stories. But what connects them all is something very simple: a belief in looking after people properly and making sure they leave wanting to come back.

Thank you, as always, for supporting us and being part of the Freespirit story.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Cheers,
 
Mark