Road trip

Quest for driving lessons steers Mensah to the top

Mensah Richardson joined the team at The Moon and Spoon (Slough), as a part-time floor associate, aged 19.

He recalled: “I wanted the part-time work to pay for driving lessons, because a friend and I were planning a road trip across Europe.”

That was just nine years ago, when Mensah was looking for a temporary job, while studying information and communications technology (ICT) at Langley College.

He recalled: “My brother’s friend was the manager of the pub and she got me an interview and I was successful.”

Mensah added: “I passed my test first time and got my driving licence in November 2012, but the road trip never happened.

”Born in the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, in the Caribbean, Mensah moved to the UK at the age of 16. His English-born mum, Joan Richardson, was originally from Slough and that is where he settled and has stayed.

Mensah explained: “We moved to the UK to live near my older brother Ehlihu – and Slough has been my home ever since. I attended Langley Academy for a couple of years from 2009, which was a very different experience for me, before going to college and then starting work with Wetherspoon.”

After joining the company in 2012, Mensah’s progress has been swift. He became a team leader in 2013, shift leader in 2015 and a duty manager by 2017. Then, in May 2018, he took over as pub manager at The Moon and Spoon.

“I am self-motivated to an extent, but have had great support and encouragement from my pub manager Sean O’Farrell (now at The Falcon, High Wycombe).”

Mensah Richardson

Under Mensah’s stewardship, The Moon and Spoon has also been included in the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Good Beer Guide for four successive years.

He said: “That is a massive achievement for me personally and also the pub. We have a great relationship with our local CAMRA members, so our inclusion in the guide is something of which I am proud.

“Our continued partnership with Slough Town Football Club, as part of the Slough Town Supporters Trust, is also a great achievement for me as pub manager at The Moon and Spoon.”

Mensah concluded: “Wetherspoon is a really good company to work for, progressing you if it sees potential and showing faith in you. I feel totally supported in every way.”