Drinking Up
Created out of transition and reinvention, The Great British Pub Company, now operating The Barbican and The Bulls Head, opened its doors to Thailand’s food and beverage culture in 1994. With a blend of eastern and western business sense, managing director Joy Menzies and general manager Somchart Sudhamachan believe the love of serving customers lies at the the crux of their partnership. Director’s Stephanie Roy sits down with the two of them to find out more.
What did you do before The Great British Pub Company?
Joy: My background is in business and marketing. I came to Thailand in 1991and met the owners of the Angus Steak House (ASH) chain. At the time there were five ASHs, two here in Bangkok, one in Chang Mai, Pattaya and Hua Hin. The owners offered me a position as general manager of the restaurants. The chain wasn’t doing terribly well due to the early 1990s social uprising. It wasn’t a good time for business in Thailand, especially in those places that were usually filled with tourists. We decided to close the three restaurants outside Bangkok and convert or reinvent the two in the city. Some of the shareholders weren’t comfortable with this move and they dropped off. As they pulled out, one of the partners and I stayed and we eventually opened The Bull’s Head in 1994. We renovated The Barbican two years later and opened it in 1997.
Somchart: I used to be a hotelier. I graduated with a degree in tourism and I was supposed to be a tour guide. I thought maybe working within the hotel industry would be more exciting and a place I could gain valuable experience. I started as a busboy at the Ambassador Hotel in Bangkok. Two years later I got a job offer at the Hilton Hotel in Nailert Park, where I worked for six years as a wine connoisseur. After seeing an ad for a great position at the Angus Steak House, I went in and was interviewed by Joy. She offered me the job and I’ve been here for 16 years now.
