Hospitality’s about making people feel welcome, so we recruit for personality

Gingerman Group director Pamela McKellar tells Favouritetable's Mark Ferguson why rising employment costs and squeezed household budgets are threatening independent restaurants and how technology is helping her business survive. 

Founded in 1998 by Pamela and her husband Ben, Brighton-based Gingerman Group has built a reputation for independent restaurants serving carefully prepared food made with locally sourced ingredients. 

Its venues include The Ginger Pig in Hove, The Flint House in Brighton and The Ginger Fox in Henfield. But 2026 has been particularly difficult. The couple recently closed their original restaurant, The Gingerman, after almost 30 years of trading. 

Despite the setback, Pamela remains passionate about hospitality, the people who work in it, and the customers who support independent businesses.

Mark Ferguson: Pamela, you've been running restaurants since 1998. How much has the business changed?  

Pamela McKellar: Massively. When we opened, we didn't even have a website. We had a telephone number and this enormous bookings diary covered in coffee and food stains. That book was everything. We wrote down every name, every telephone number, even bookings for the following year. We faxed menus to customers. 

It's extraordinary how much has changed, particularly in how we communicate with people. We couldn't operate like that now.  

Q: What's helped you keep going through nearly three decades in such a challenging industry? 

Pamela: People. Absolutely people. Ben and I can't be in several restaurants at once, so we have to trust the teams representing us. 

We recruit for personality. Somebody might have the most impressive CV in the world, but if they're not friendly or kind, they're probably not right for us. I'd rather have someone with less experience who smiles, wants to learn and genuinely enjoys being around people. 

A customer might spend just two hours with us. Every interaction during that time matters. You can serve wonderful food, but if somebody is rude to you, you're unlikely to return. That's hospitality. It's about making people feel welcome. 

Q: Where does technology fit into that very personal approach? 

Pamela: It's become a necessity. Employing people is incredibly expensive now, so we have to think carefully about where we use their time. 

If somebody can book a table online instead of phoning us, that frees up a member of staff to look after customers when they're actually in the restaurant. That's where I want our people. 

Customers appreciate it too. Everybody's busy. They want to book a table quickly on their phone and get on with their day. 

Most of our bookings are online now. We couldn't go back to that old diary, however much I loved it! 

Q: How difficult are trading conditions for independent restaurants at the moment? 

Pamela: I don't think I've known it this hard in nearly 30 years. 

And it's important to remember that our customers are struggling too. Mortgages, household bills, everything costs more. Going out for dinner is a real expense for many people. 

So when somebody chooses to spend their hard-earned money with us, we have to appreciate that. We want them to leave thinking it was worth it. 

We're also competing with businesses that can produce food centrally and keep their costs down. We don't work like that. If you have gravy with a roast in one of our restaurants, we've spent two days making the stock from veal bones. We make our bread and ice cream. We buy from local farmers and producers. 

It's labour-intensive and expensive, but that's what makes us different. We're not prepared to abandon those principles simply to reduce costs. 

Q: You've spoken openly about the closure of The Gingerman. How difficult was that? 

Pamela: It was probably the biggest low we've experienced. 

We had to close it because it wasn't making money. In my view, the additional costs imposed on businesses through the last two Budgets made it impossible to continue. 

When it's your own business, you take these things very personally. The stress affects your whole life. 

But the biggest highs have always come from seeing our staff develop. We've had young people arrive with no confidence who leave completely transformed. 

I remember one young man who could barely make eye contact when he started behind the bar. Six months later, he was a different person. He's gone on to do remarkable things, but those social skills he learned in hospitality will stay with him. 

We've also had kitchen porters who barely spoke English when they joined us, learned the language, became chefs and eventually went on to work in some extraordinary kitchens. That's what keeps me in this industry. 

Q: Gingerman Group has worked with Favouritetable for many years. Why have you stayed? 

Pamela: Because of the people. 

 We're approached all the time by companies promising new systems and better integrations. But when we've built a good relationship with somebody, we're loyal. 

André at Favouritetable understands our business. If we're having problems with how bookings are coming into the private dining room at The Ginger Pig, for example, he'll help us work out how to manage them without overwhelming the kitchen. 

That's more than just supplying software. It's somebody thinking about how our restaurant actually operates. 

We can contact the team when something goes wrong, even at weekends, and they'll help us sort it out. I feel we're dealing with people who genuinely care about hospitality. That's why we've stayed for so long. 

Q: What advice would you give somebody planning to open their first restaurant? 

Pamela: Please, don't do it right now. Not if it means risking your savings or re-mortgaging your home. 

I'd tell them to do pop-ups instead. Build a following, develop an Instagram presence, collect customer contacts and learn everything you can about running a restaurant. 

Work in the industry, gain experience and hold on to your money until conditions improve. 

I've seen people who've worked for us open restaurants recently and then have to close them. It's heart-breaking. 

Q: And what would you like the Government to do? 

Pamela: Start by looking again at the additional costs of employing people. The increases in National Insurance have made an already difficult situation worse. 

A reduction in VAT for hospitality would help, although I'd particularly like to see support targeted at independent British businesses. 

I don't pretend to have all the answers, but we need policies that make it possible to employ people and keep restaurants trading. 

Q: Finally, what's giving you something to look forward to? 

Pamela: The Ginger Pig is 20 years old this year, and we're doing something rather fun. 

We found some of our original menus from 2006 and couldn't believe the prices. So in November we're bringing back some of those dishes at their original prices for a special midweek promotion. 

It'll be a bit of a trip down memory lane. It's not necessarily about making money; sometimes hospitality should just be about doing something lovely for people. 

We'll be telling customers about it through our Favouritetable newsletter, so there's the technology helping us again! 

After everything that's happened, it's nice to have something we're genuinely excited about. 

Watch the full conversation to hear more from Pamela McKellar about the realities of running independent restaurants, supporting hospitality careers, and adapting to a changing industry. 

Find out more about Gingerman Group at gingermanrestaurants.com