Staff

"Very friendly and helpful staff. Lovely linen, very comfortable beds for bad backs. Brilliant chef - hang on to him!" [We have! VB]

From Michael and Sarah, West Midlands

The biggest difference between us and any other hotel is our staff, who are our best asset. Anyone visiting The White Swan Inn will find a happy, friendly team, truly dedicated to looking after you - the customer. I recommend the following team to you

"Engine Room" (The Kitchen)

Head Chef: Darren Clemmit

Age: 35
Trained: Scarborough Catering College, and The White Swan Inn
Joined Us: 1987 as Kitchen Junior
Darren is the most unflappable chef in Christendom. His calming nature helps keep the food consistently excellent. He wants you to really enjoy his food and everything on the menu is freshly-made from the best ingredients, and to a high standard. Darren's goal is to achieve a Michelin "Bib Gourmand" for The White Swan Inn.  Darren lives in Pickering and is a Leeds United supporter with his 8 year old son and two beautiful daughters. 

Second Chef: Carl Muscroft

Age: 30
Trained: Scarborough Catering College, and The White Swan Inn
Joined Us: 1995 as Kitchen Junior
Carl likes cooking almost as much as playing rugby. He pays flanker for Malton RFC and regularly works a busy Saturday night shift only an hour after leaving the pitch - and after a good soak! Carl is interested in serious food with relevant presentation. He is master of the risotto - but not the alarm clock!  Like Darren he has a young family with another two gorgeous girls.   

Third Chef: Tom Marley

Age: 28
Training: Scarborough Catering College, George & Dragon at Kirbymoorside, and The White Swan Inn
Joined Us: 1999
Tom is an extremely talented chef in both the kitchen at The White Swan Inn and at home.  In his spare time he is a keen footballer too, playing for a local league, and when he is not on the pitch playing he is relaxing with a pint watching it! 

We have three trainee chefs, Wez, Cassie and Shaun who are being trained on the job.  All three are local Pickering boys and seem to have their fingers on the pulse of the latest trends and where the prettiest girls hang out.  Luckily for them some of them are at work!

Kitchen Porter:  John

Age: Oldest team member
Joined Us: 2004
John is reliable and committed to The White Swan Inn to the point of recruiting his son to help out during busy evenings.  A keen and talented gardener John often brings home grown vegetables into the kitchen and hopes to plant a decent amount when the garden at the rear of the new rooms is landscaped.

Groundsman and Maintenance: Frank Morgan

Age: Depends on the weather
Training: Forces
Joined Us: 2000
One of the longest serving members on the team (excluding the chefs) and probably the most experienced, who actually started out in The White Swan Inn's kitchen.   After a career in the Forces he became one of the best Maitre D'H's in the business, but now prefers to look after the grounds. His knowledge of proper hotel service is invaluable and he keeps us right. Frank plays the bagpipes, and his birthday is on New Year's Day.

Front of House

General Manager: Alison Dunning

Age: 29
Training – After completing her degree in BA(Hons) Hospitality Management at the University of Central Lancashire, She went into Event Organisation at Business Link York and North Yorkshire and then onto the York Marriott Hotel as their Events Manager where she learnt a huge deal about hotel operations, revenue and strategy.  Subsequent to Royal Ascot at York, she vowed that she would never work in Hotels again as the event nearly finished her off!  So went to work at Land Rover where we met her and was inspired with the vision of how true Yorkshire hospitality should be and here she is, proud to be leading the team at The White Swan Inn (and so are we).
Joined us – February 2006 as Duty Manager and September 2008 as General Manager

Duty Manager: Rob Bateman

Age: 25
Training - Originally joined us in 1998 as a kitchen porter but was persuaded to move front of house when we saw his talent was wasted.  After 4 years at Loughborough University and achieving a BSc (Hons) in International Business he decided to delay beginning his career and did an 18 month stint in New Zealand.  He spent his time in the ski fields and wineries of Central Otago.   We were delighted when he returned home committed and motivated as ever and we were able to lure him back to The White Swan Inn.  Rob exudes friendliness & fully represents true Yorkshire hospitality at its very best. 

Duty Manager: Rachel Worth

Age 22
Training - Rachel is one of our latest recruits – fresh out of University and keen to make her mark in the hospitality industry.  She too like Alison studied at University of Central Lancashire and achieved her BA (Hons) in Hospitality Management.  She was lucky enough to have a years work experience where she became Restaurant Supervisor at Cottons Hotel and Spa in Knutsford.  She ultimately would love to be a General Manager, drive nice cars and drink champagne. 

Business Manager: Lisa Fraser

Age: 27
Training: Various but mainly from her roots at The White Swan Inn.
Joined Us: February 1997
Lisa originally joined us as a shy and retiring 14 year old waitress and took to the business like a duck to water and through this she chose her career in the industry.  She went on to study at Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies which allowed her to enjoy a stint working in America and achieved a First Class Honours Degree with a Student of the Year award.  Luckily when we heard she was back in the area we couldn't let her go and work anywhere else so we snapped her up.  Over the four years she has been back full time, her role has developed and she can be found in the office beavering away on varying projects. 

Head Housekeeper – Anne Sargerson

Age – Available on request
Joined us – October 2007
Training – We believe that Anne was trained by Mrs Tiggywinkle herself as her standards of housekeeping are exceptional.  She personally checks each of the bedrooms once her team have swept through the hotel to ensure that they are to her specification.  She leads the team by example and is often found with rubber gloves and cloth in hand.  In her spare time, Anne is a leader at the local Brownie group and enjoys been taken for a walk by their three year old Spaniel ‘Button’.

There are of course many more staff at The White Swan Inn but sadly too many to mention individually.  Everyone who works here is specially chosen for their friendly smiles and their willingness to provide great service whether it is in the bar, kitchen or corridor!  It is a source of great pride to all of the Buchanan Family that the team at the Inn is enthusiastic and dedicated.  It is also wonderful to see them socialising and caring about each other in an out of work.