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BEHIND THE COUNTER
Angie Pipe
Above: Angie Pipe, operations manager at Alligator Pear. Right: Alligator Pear, Tadworth.
Angie Pipe, a Greats 2018 Retail Employee of the Year finalist, originally wanted to be an air hostess, but instead, her career path led her into retail, initially with Whittard of Chelsea. She joined Greats award winning gift shop Alligator Pear in Tadworth, Surrey, 10 years ago, where she is currently operations manager. So what does she love most about working in gift retail?
Alligator Pear’s owner Maggie Thornton describes Angie as “the glue that keeps the business ticking over. Stalwart, hardworking and professional, both staff and customers love and respect her,” states Maggie. “She does so much in the background in her quiet, unassuming way.” Having joined Alligator Pear with a wealth of retail management experience, Angie says that what she most loves most about her job is the interaction with customers. “I love helping them to find what they’re looking for,” enthuses Angie, whose remit includes being part of the
buying team. “I also love the excitement of trade shows, of putting together new ‘stories’ in store, and wrapping gifts. In fact, our giftwrapping service is among the reasons why people love to shop with us.” A typical day starts at 8am, when Angie arrives at the shop. After going through the invoices and dealing with emails, she puts on the coffee so that it
LAST WORD
Kenny Tutt
Above: Kenny Tutt. Right: England At Home, Brighton.
Bank manager Kenny Tutt was thrust into the limelight earlier this year when he was crowned MasterChef champion 2018. In between making sweet and savoury dumplings in the Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) MasterChef Kitchen & Demo Area last month, Kenny turned the heat down to tell PG&H why a gift from his wife made him burst into tears.
Three words that best describe you? “Happy, pragmatic, adventurous.” What was your first job? “Working on my mum’s seafood stall in Billingshurst where, unfortunately for her, I ate my way through her profit!” What was the best advice you’ve ever been given? “Embrace mistakes, learn from them and be resilient.” What advice would you give to someone else? “Do what you love and don’t be afraid to do something different.” When you shop for gifts, where’s your special place?
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greets the other members of staff when they arrive. “After that, going through the stock is our priority for the day,” she explains. “I never get tired, and thrive on the excitement.” “I know that I have to have a holiday every now and then, but as it get closer, I begin to feel the withdrawal symptoms!” she smiles. “I know that Alligator Pear is Maggie’s shop, but I think of it as my ‘baby’ and really care so much about it. I regard myself as very lucky that I work with such lovely people in such a lovely place.”
“England At Home in The Lanes in Brighton. They’ve got some lovely, very quirky things in there.” What was the best gift that you ever received? “For my 30th birthday, my wife booked dinner for two at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray. When she told me, I was so overjoyed I burst out crying!”
What’s the most expensive gift you’ve ever bought for her? “A pair of Louboutins.” Are you thinking about Christmas shopping yet? “Yes. I always start in mid November and panic in December! However, because I start early, everyone gets a few extra gifts because I’ve forgotten what I’ve bought them.” What would your last meal on earth be? “Good fried chicken with gravy, a full fat Coke with ice and lemon and loads of praline ice cream.” Do you have any ambitions on the boil? “Definitely! I’m working on a concept for a cookbook, and I’d like to do pop up street food around the country, a fusion of British and American cuisine.” What was your favourite week on MasterChef? “I loved going to Peru. I did a sea bass ceviche, with a leche de tigre Peruvian sauce. The sea bass was like Free Willy! We also went to the Centrale restaurant where I had piranha.” And finally, what was your least favourite moment on MasterChef? “When John or Gregg would come and talk to me three minutes before I had to plate up, and I still had a million things to do!”