A STUDENT near Whitchurch is hoping his studies will help benefit the pub he works in.

Charlie Holden works in the Swan in Marbury, which is part of Pubs Limited along with the Black Bear in Whitchurch.

He will finish his Chartered Management Institute (CMI) apprenticeship at Manchester Metropolitan University at the end of the month and his general manager, Tom Morgan-Wynne hopes the pub will benefit from it.

Charlie undertook his studies while working at the Black Bear before moving to the Swan and he was recently promoted to assistant manager and thanked people for their support.

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He said: "Studying whilst working has been the best route for me. Tom is a perfect manager, and everyone is so supportive."

While working in the pub, Charlie has received practical experience.

A Pubs Limited spokesperson said: "At 16, Bishop Heber High School pupil, shy Charlie was twiddling his thumbs in the upstairs office of The Black Bear in Whitchurch, waiting for his mum to finish her shift as one of the head chefs.

"A busy evening resulted in him getting hauled in to wash pots and impressing his peers, he progressed to salad prepping and eventually became kitchen assistant.

"Charlie’s can-do attitude got him noticed and at 18, he was asked to cover the bar feeling very unsure, but determined to give it a try. 

"When the pub was taken over, Charlie was taken on, his cellar training got underway, and a front-of-house career began.

"Guided by Tom, Charlie has gathered extensive practical experience that feeds directly into his final assessment, which will mark the end of his four-year programme and, fingers crossed, land him his honours degree. "Working long hours and studying, Charlie has had his work cut out to fit everything in, but he is no stranger to tough challenges."

Tom praised Charlie for his success and spoke about how his degree will help benefit the running of the pub.

He said: "Charlie deserves all his success, he’s very intelligent with lots of passion for the industry, and he wants to learn and progress himself.

"I admire his work ethic, he’s genuinely caring and puts others first.

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"We aim to offer different experiences, to help and support our team through the degree programme, if they choose to take it.

"The next step is to make sure we apply Charlie’s new knowledge.

"We want him to be able to use his best ideas and now he’s now ready to take on a more central role in staff management."