Wild West Hospitality

I was chatting with a colleague recently about “the old days”, and you’ll often hear me talking about “old school” when it comes to hospitality. Let’s face it, I’ve been doing this for a while. But it struck us that there are certain tasks many of our younger colleagues have never done - and never will. It’s just an age thing. “Cash out” is probably gone, as is walking through a crowded bar or nightclub carrying a till drawer, locking yourself in an office, or even - as in my first pub - a change room with bags of coins counted out and lined up.

Thinking back, there were plenty more things from those days: carrying matches, the “proper” way to change a dirty ashtray, the old method of pouring a Guinness (yes, the training has changed). iPads for orders didn’t exist, and stock‑control tills had a button for every single item… somewhere.

And then there were the kitchens - where shouting and throwing things was normal. No CCTV. Bouncers before SIA training and badges. And some venues didn’t have any security at all.

If you want to label those times, you could call it “old school”, or you could call it The Wild West.

Does it matter? In some ways, no - it was just a different era. But at the same time, it shaped us, and gave us skills we still carry (and maybe a few scars). The generation who worked Wild West hospitality have more versions of Plan B than you could imagine - we had to develop them to survive. We’re imaginative, inventive. We communicate in codes, with subtle hand signals and sometimes just with our eyes. Our heads are on a swivel, and we can tell whether a glass or bottle has been broken - and whether it was an accident or deliberate - just from the sound. (We really can.) Working without security makes you harder to scare, less likely to back down - so don’t bother trying to intimidate us into accepting your fake ID or giving you a free drink.

But if we’re running your event, expect smooth service, a constant fixed smile, and more tricks up our sleeve to ensure your day goes perfectly than a magician on the Britain’s Got Talent final.

Been there, seen it, done it - and can do it for you.