TWO new faces are at the helm of The Old Bath Arms in Frome and will be bringing years of experience and a new energy to the pub.
As of 15th August, Ockert de Lange and Mike Luppnow will be the new landlords on Palmer Street, having taken over from Richard and Kath Findlay, who still own the pub, and are working on a new venture in Frome.
Richard said, “I’m so excited for Mike and Ockert to take over because they’re going to bring a whole new dimension to The Old Bath Arms.
“Kath and I have been running the pub and investing in it for nearly five years now and it’s time to let these guys step up and take it to the next level.
“Ockert is a highly qualified chef with a lot of experience in London and he’ll be looking to empower and train our kitchen staff and offer quality and consistent menus for our customers.
“Mike will be our front of house manager. He will fill a gap that Kath and I couldn’t, and will really be stepping up the engagement with staff and customers; he has this beautiful thing called patience!”
While Mike and Ockert set about the pub’s new chapter, Richard will be working hard behind the scenes setting up his new venture; a training pub training academy in the Frome area specifically training people wanting to create a profession within the pub industry.
He will be looking to train people in everything from brewing the beer and cooking the food up to serving it and managing a pub.
The academy will have its own brewery and restaurant where the students will be trained and assessed in a real establishment.
Richard said, “We’re working really hard on this and I can’t wait to get going; it’s going to be a real one-of-a-kind place. Hiring good qualified pub staff is a struggle and people aren’t trained in it specifically.
“We want to change that and give pubs professional, passionate staff who know everything about what they’re doing and a real qualification to show for it.
“This isn’t a recruitment scheme for the The Old Bath Arms. We want to see a lot of local people come and learn with us and then work all over the area, and give a real boost to the sector in general.”
The Old Bath Arms is at 1 Palmer Street. Visit their website www.theoldbatharms.co.uk to find out more.
