THE manager of a much-loved Swindon pub looked back on 27 years of pulling pints – and wants to encourage others to follow in her footsteps.

Paula Vernon of the Moonrakers oversees one of the biggest pubs owned by Arkell’s Brewery and hopes that more people decide to run their own boozer.

The 50-year-old said: “I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t run a pub. I really enjoy what I do, that’s the main thing. Every day is different, you meet so many different people and it’s a really rewarding job.

“I get great satisfaction from people giving positive feedback about the atmosphere and the food, especially our Sunday roasts.

“When I first started working for Arkell’s, I had never even pulled a pint and had to go to The Sun Inn for two weeks to train.”

Paula filmed a video for Arkell’s campaign about inspiring potential publicans which was shared on social media yesterday evening.

She started off at the Dolphin when she was 23 then moved to the Wheatsheaf before working as assistant manager at the Moonrakers eight years ago, taking over the top job when the former managers retired.

Paula works with a team of 10 people, including her daughter Selena.

She added: “All the pubs I’ve worked for have been different but equally enjoyable – though I never thought I would be in charge of a pub this big.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking to be one of the faces for Arkell’s new campaign but it’s great to have been chosen and once they got me talking, I was on a roll.

“I’m used to talking to people while behind the bar but being in front of the camera is a very different thing, I’m quite camera-shy. The brewery is great to work for – everyone there has been there for years, which is a good sign.”

The Arkell’s recruitment campaign aims to find managers for the Village Inn at Liddington, the Bell Inn at Purton Stoke and Priory Inn at Tetbury.

Managing director George Arkell said: “We are always on the lookout for fantastic people to join our family. That’s why we’ve launched this campaign inspiring potential landlords and landladies to take on their own business venture by unveiling what it’s really like to be an Arkell’s publican.

“We’re showcasing some of the unique publicans life stories that sit within the business from a handful of our existing team, like Paula who manages The Moonrakers in Swindon and has developed her career with us.”

Visit www.arkellsrecruitment.co.uk for more information.