Fuller's women share their career turning points

Created and designed in house at The Coach & Horses

13. Reka Vass

Head Chef at The Hercules
When I made my first steps into the hospitality sector I had a female head chef and she saw my abilities. I learnt everything I knew about cooking from my mum, I didn’t have any formal qualifications - I still got a chance and started pushing myself in the kitchen. My experience with Fuller’s started after a hard period of my life, my sister had cancer while I was in London, trying to give all the support I could from a distance. With Fuller’s I started working with a female head chef again. Usually the kitchen is full of men, with not so many women, it was there too but everyone worked equally. They did not make me feel weak or small and my head chef was encouraging me all the time. I am known as a shy, introverted person so she always told me to be confident and that I was going to be successful at my job. She believed in me and told me I was going to make it as a head chef one day. Unfortunately we soon found out she had cancer, it hit me hard. Even during treatment would come in early to help us, always with a smile and a word of encouragement for the team. Still to this day I am proudly talking about her, as one of the greatest, strongest women I have known. Since I have become a head chef with an almost all women kitchen I try to give these women all the things I have learnt so far. I would love to empower them the same way I was.

20. Justyna Mazur

General Manager at The Banker
A turning point in my career was when I was given the opportunity to fully manage a pub. The moment I was empowered to step up I was both thrilled and nervous, I was so proud of being recognised for my potential but had fears whether I was truly ready for the responsibility. I was encouraged by the support from my colleagues and previous manager. They shared their wisdom, giving me confidence in my ability to handle the challenges ahead. I still felt some fear of failure, which held me back initially. It wasn’t so much the task at hand but my own doubts that almost stopped me from taking the chance. I think the real encouragement came from my operations manager at the time - he saw something in me that I hadn’t fully recognised; my leadership qualities and commitment. That was what I needed. Taking the first step into management was intimidating. There was a lot to learn on the job. But with each new challenge, I grew more confident. Currently, I’m still in the process of improving my skills as a pub manager. It’s an ongoing journey where I keep learning and growing. My advice: don’t let self-doubt hold you back. There will always be fears but taking that first step—no matter how small—can open doors to incredible opportunities and adventures. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, and don’t be afraid to take risks.

22. Heidi Clark

Supervisor at The Carpenter’s Arms
By the end of my 20’s, I had reached my ‘shelf life’ as a professional dancer. This was heartbreaking having worked towards this goal since a child. However, it shaped my future, and I’d gained some invaluable skills. Returning to college I undertook a business course and thereafter started temping. On only my third temping assignment at a multinational recruitment company I was offered a permanent role as a secretarial recruiter. I was delighted but doubted my ability. My new manager was supportive and reminded me that I was more than capable – my dancing background had taught me the importance of teamwork, building relationships, trust and delivering excellence, all of which were transferrable skills. This encouragement made me feel empowered and within a year I was running the division with a team of my own! I felt very fortunate to have such an inspirational manager and I’d similarly encourage others to be bold, as all experience is valuable.

25. Tabitha Stonelake

Assistant Manager at The Hydrant
I started out in hospitality when I was at uni while living in Cardiff, working in a club on the weekends for some pocket money. My manager was an amazing woman who was incredible at what she did. Along with her influence, and my newfound love for hospitality I realised I could make a career of it and started asking about the next steps. When a supervisor position came up I immediately wanted to find out what I needed to do to be able to fulfil the role. It unfortunately didn’t work out for me, however, I made a massive move to London, where I started in Fullers as a supervisor. I struggled to find confidence at first, as I frequently made mistakes, but I slowly gained it over time, empowering myself with the idea of my old manager, and being like her. I have now spent almost 3 years in London with Fuller’s, pushing myself to be the best I can be. I am now an assistant manager looking to take the next step. I would encourage anyone who is interested to find that role model and push themselves to become the best they can be, and not to let mistakes impede their confidence, because it’s the best way to learn

29. Layla El Adaci

General Manager at The Hercules
After joining Fuller’s as a part-time bartender while studying at university I was quickly offered a full-time position and promoted to assistant manager at Fine Line Canary Wharf shortly after graduating, thanks to two incredible deputy managers; Gintare and Monika. This opportunity opened the door to my now 10-year-long career with Fuller’s. Without any question, they recognised and encouraged my strengths, even when I was uncertain and lacked confidence. I felt happy and valued. Gin was an excellent manager; she was caring, knowledgeable, and consistently supportive. She was a great trainer and I learnt very quickly from her. Her leadership created an environment that made Fine Line personable through dedicated teamwork and engaging customer relationships, and more importantly, a fun place to be. This was almost ten years ago, at a time when management skills were often less people focused. However, she taught me that it’s possible to be kind and respected, and she was both. I’ve been blessed to work and learn from some incredible managers throughout my career, I’ve received a lot of support and encouragement from them and even more from the teams I’ve worked with. For me, the best part of the job is to support and recognise the great people we have in our teams and to encourage the best out of them, just as I was.

32. Klaudia Kaminska

Head Chef at The Hydrant & Area Support Chef
I have just reached a turning point in my career being promoted to Area Support Chef. I was highly encouraged by my manager who has never doubted my capability of exceeding at this role. Going through the process of the interview and being selected for the role made me feel recognised and appreciated. At this point I realised there was no more room for self-doubt. Our thoughts are not facts, especially the self-intrusive ones. I would encourage everyone to know their strengths and believe in themselves, to take a step further and let go of the fear of being uncomfortable, because that’s the place we grow the most. Living up to the challenge will be the biggest reward.

36. Georgina Hirst

Commis Chef Apprentice at The Carpenter’s Arms
I’ve worked in hospitality since 16 and I loved working as a barista in a hospital which felt quite rewarding. I realised I wanted to be a chef after dropping out of university and wanted something more than working with coffee. I loved watching cooking shows and the feeling that I had working in hospitality - that was really the turning point. I applied for a commis chef apprenticeship partnered with Westminster Kingsway College and The Carpenter’s Arms. It sounded like a great opportunity as I was getting culinary education at the college as well as restaurant experience. Having worked at The Carpenters Arms for a year now I have learnt so much about how to work in a professional kitchen and much more about food. This experience has pushed me towards working into a culinary career.

37. Chloe Donnithorne

General Manager at The Ship
Not the first, but perhaps the boldest turning point in my career was applying for my first and current pub. I decided I wanted to be a general manager some years before, and had many struggles along the way, most around my self-confidence. I didn’t know any female general managers personally at that time, and none that were my age, so I constantly doubted myself and had a really hard time taking the next step, despite knowing how much work I had put in. I really do love what I do, and I wouldn’t have pushed myself if it wasn’t for the people I had around me seeing that potential. My colleagues really helped me change my life without knowing just how much. So, my advice to someone struggling to take a risk is that you really haven’t got anything to lose, and taking the first step is always going to be the hardest part.

39. Erinn Bryne

Sales & Events Manager at The Hercules
When it comes to my career, I’ve often struggled with taking ownership of my successes and saying to myself that I can take the next step. Since joining Fuller’s I’ve been extremely fortunate to have had managers and team members who have pushed me to take further steps in my career. After successfully managing the bookings across the Christmas period in 2023 for The Hercules, taking on events coordinating responsibilities I was encouraged and supported to take on the position more permanently. From there I learnt a lot from the company events team. Due to this experience, I have been able to recognise my successes, advocate for myself, know what to improve to better my performance and come up with new ideas. I would want to be able to provide a similar level of support for other women, as without the support and pushes that I’ve received I don’t think I would have felt confident to take on new roles and challenges.

44. Sam Bourke

Marketing Director
A turning point was when I was offered to hold the Marketing Director role for my boss at The Restaurant Group as she went on maternity. It was a FTSE 100 company, so it felt like a big step early in my career. The role became permanent and I loved it. Sometimes I had imposter syndrome, but largely I felt supported and energised by the support and autonomy. It felt empowering to be trusted. In an environment like that, people thrive. My work was creative, commercial, collaborative and it emboldened me to encourage others to push themselves for better things. This experience demonstrated how trust can foster growth and unlock potential.