Former Mitchells & Butlers retail manager Howard Ebison rose to fame in the 2009 BBC2 series The Apprentice. He made it to the final six before being fired by Sir Alan Sugar and has recently joined the No. 1 Lounge group of airport lounges. He spoke to Amanda Afiya.
Caterer Can you fill us in on your new role?
Howard Ebison My job is business development manager for the No. 1 Lounge group, which currently operates three airport lounges – one at Gatwick South Terminal, one at Stansted – which services all non-Ryanair and non-domestic flights – and one at JFK New York. My role has three main components: to develop potential locations for future lounges internationally; to develop enhanced service products such as our driveway to runway chauffeur service; and to drive sales and profits in the existing lounges by building relationships with airlines, tour operators, airport handling companies and charter services.
Caterer Tell us about the No. 1 lounges.
HE The offer is a premium, upmarket lounge that is accessible not only to business class travellers but also economy travellers who wish to upgrade their departure waiting experience. Access includes food and beverages, WiFi access, table service, panoramic floor-to-ceiling views of the runways, televisions, newspapers and magazines and business support. In the Stansted lounge, access also includes fast-track through security checks.
Caterer How has your life changed since taking part in The Apprentice?
HE I still can’t get away with going to the supermarket in a tracksuit without people asking for photos! I thought the hype would have died down by now but it really hasn’t. At work, it comes up in a lot of meetings but normally because people think they’ve met me, done business with me, or worked with me.
Caterer The overall winner, Reading-based restaurateur Yasmina Siadatan, said on the show that her skills were “wasted in the catering industry”. Did you feel her thoughts about the industry were justified?
HE No, I don’t. The hospitality industry is an enormous, multi-billion-pound industry, how can skills be wasted anywhere? Hospitality allows people to use an extremely wide range of skills in a fun and exciting environment.
Caterer Would you encourage other hospitality professionals to apply for The Apprentice?
HE Certainly. Three out of the top six candidates had a hospitality background [Kate Walsh, who came second, is a former Marstons area manager]. The industry requires such a wide range of skills that it provides a great platform for tackling wider business tasks.
Caterer Would you say that the skills required for hospitality management set people up well for Sir Alan’s tasks?
HE Yes. The real gap in my experience was that of hardcore sales. Having a large corporate background meant that I never had to do the rough-and-ready stuff.