The Caterer interview: Miles Pooley, chief executive and club secretary, the Royal Air Force, London

director and Stuart Johnson as HR manager. They took me under their wing. I was then offered an exchange with a trainee at a leading hotel in Switzerland for a year.

I returned to the Connaught and worked my way up to reception manager, by which time I had spent a total of nine years at the hotel. I then spent some time out of London at Gravetye Manor in West Sussex, when Peter Herbert was the owner.

Tell us about your first move into the world of clubs?

Three years in the country was enough for me and I returned to London in 1996 to take up the position of general manager at the Oriental Club. Being back in the capital was one attraction of the job, but taking on a senior role in a traditional, club-like environment that reminded me of the Connaught also appealed.

The real difference between clubs and hotels stems from the relationship you develop with members who show so much appreciation for the staff and management.

It therefore quickly became apparent to me that this was an environment where I really felt appreciated and valued.

Why did you then decide to move away from clubs?

After four years, I thought it was time to move on as I wanted to develop my career further. I joined 47 Park Street in Mayfair in 2000, which at the time was part-owned and managed by Accor Hotels. The property was sold in 2002 and became part of the upmarket timeshare division of Marriott and became known as a Marriott Grand Residence, when it was transformed from a 53-suite hotel to 49 residences.

I stayed for a further four years before moving within the company to become general manager of the London Marriott Hotel Park Lane, where I remained for eight years.

Then you were enticed back to clubs?

Yes, I always felt I wanted to return to clubs as I believe clubs allow for greater longevity within a senior role. At the age of 52, I'm one of the youngest club CEOs, whereas at Marriott I was becoming one of the older general managers. I moved to the Royal Air Force Club in May 2015 as chief executive and club secretary. Ironically many of the chief executives of London clubs are Savoy-trained. It is just a dream job because I'm empowered to run the club without the constraints of a commercial business.

From the outside, the traditional London clubs are often regarded as fusty and old-fashioned. Is there any truth in this?

I think there still is in some clubs. Part of it stems from the strict dress codes that many clubs used to have in place. But things have changed as members don't always want to be wearing a jacket and tie. As a result, dress codes have become a frequent talking point among members of club committees.

Here at the RAF Club, things are a lot more relaxed and accommodating. It depends on the time of day - smart-casual is acceptable most of the time. In the evening a jacket and tie is required in the Dining Room and the Cowdray Lounge. But we also have a tavern in the club, the Running Horse, which provides an alternative to formal dining with no dress code. And if one is holding a private function in one of the eight function rooms, one can wear whatever attire is appropriate.

Clubs have changed beyond all recognition with regards to women. When I was at the Oriental Club in the 1990s, ladies weren't allowed to go in certain rooms. Some clubs had separate male and female entrances. There are still one or two where ladies can't go. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, everyone was very accepting of such rules, but now, of course, they are regarded as archaic.

How are clubs changing?

Firstly, they are hiring higher calibre management staff. When I was at the Oriental Club in the 1990s, there was a distinct difference between hotels and clubs in the levels of service of service and hospitality offered, whereas now they are a lot more comparable. The accommodation we offer is very much what you would find in a hotel - traditionally a lot of bedrooms in clubs didn't have en suite facilities. Technology is also now very important to members throughout the club. And the quality of the cuisine has improved. In the old days, food served in clubs was often associated with school dinners. Now we compete with fine dining establishments. It is therefore necessary to employ the best quality management and staff in order to exceed our members' and guests' expectations.

Do the new breed of clubs, such as Soho House, the Arts Club and the Groucho, help change the perception of the world of clubs?

They do help. And they are good for bringing young people into our sector, which is of course a real challenge at the moment. We are all fishing from the same pond and, as we all know, hospitality is in crisis in terms of recruitment.

What are the unique aspects of the RAF Club?

The club has 25,000 members, which means we're one of the larger clubs. We have 110 bedrooms and eight function rooms, the largest of which has just been renamed by the Queen from the Ballroom to the Sovereigns' Room and can seat up to 140 for a sit-down dinner. We're slightly different from a lot of the clubs

in that we're a registered charity. That means our pricing is more accommodating and affordable. Our average annual subscription is quite modest and only represents about 30% of our total revenue. The subscription varies - if one is a serving officer, it would be half a day's pay. Retired members pay a different subscription. We then have family, associate and affiliate members. Although we are an officers' club, serving and retired officers represent only 50% of the membership of the club.

We have some limited donations and legacies, with the rest of the revenue coming from the bedrooms and the function rooms. To stay at the club or to eat in the dining room or use the lounge, you need to be a member or the guest of a member. We operate a trading company for the spaces which can be booked by non-members at a very competitive price.

You earlier mentioned the challenges of staffing? How are you dealing with the crisis?

We have 135 staff, made up of 23 nationalities. The worry about Brexit is tremendous. We've got two full-time HR personnel working on recruiting staff. We are very focused on engaging our staff and this year we put ourselves forward for The Sunday Times Best Not-For-Profit Organisations To Work For 2018 and were ranked number 30. I work closely with Young Guns (a competition for hospitality degree students focused on work experience), Springboard, the Master Innholders and the Clink Charity to bring more young people into this environment to see what we are all about.

So many young people have never stepped foot in a club before. We support as many interns as we can and work with universities such as Lausanne, Bournemouth and Brighton.

With everyone struggling for staff, we're looking to increase the renumeration packages to be higher than inflation in order to be competitive - our board of trustees is very supportive in this. When I started my career, many staff working in central London had accommodation with their jobs. I lived in a heavily subsidised flat in Mount Street when I was at the Connaught, something which now seems unbelievable. Today staff travel so far to get to work and that costs money as well as time. Another added cost is the increase in agency fees over the past year or two, particularly in conference and banqueting.

It is important to be flexible in the way we employ staff and we offer job shares. We are lucky in that we don't have to have guaranteed owner or shareholder returns and therefore we're not under the same financial restraints as commercial businesses. Also, clubs are more robust to economic downturns.

Employing staff from a good background, such as our executive chef Michael Dutnall who is Connaught-trained and recently came third in the UK final of the Taittinger Prix Culinaire competition, in turn helps with recruitment.

Why should young people consider a career in clubs?

With the increasingly professional way in which clubs are now run compared to a decade or two ago, staff can really have their business acumen developed and stretched. Although we are not for profit and any surpluses we make go back into the business, we are particularly focused on the level of service we give to our members. We empower our management staff to be creative, providing a great

opportunity for individuals to grow.

With a workforce of more than 130 staff, there is a lot of opportunity to develop within the club. Ultimately, it is an environment where the efforts of all staff are really appreciated and valued. This in turn leads to staff feeling confident, motivated and passionate in their roles. It really is a very rewarding environment in which to work.

What has the club done to mark its centenary?

Our actual anniversary was on 30 October. The key project this year has been the conversion of the squash courts - which were in relatively poor condition and hardly ever used by members - into 17 additional bedrooms, a fitness centre and a business centre. Her Majesty, who is the club's patron, opened the new rooms on 17 October. We've also planned two events at St James's Palace for our members and staff with royal attendance, as well as a ball and a birthday party. For the whole team to be involved in these events has been amazing.

What are the opportunities for young people to enter the hospitality industry via clubs?

There are plenty. It starts with work experience. Then, depending on the individual, their capabilities and the area they are working, we can tailor-make a training scheme for our recruits. We recently had an intern from the University of Brighton, for whom we devised a training programme over a 15-month period. I feel passionately that we have a responsibility to help the future generation as much as possible.

What has been the highlight of your career?

Without question it has been my appointment as chief executive of the Royal Air Force Club. I've also got very fond memories of working at the Connaught. But this role has been the most rewarding. We're not constrained by brand standards and completing audits-instead our focus is spending time with members and guests, which involves meeting the most amazing people, including the most amazing veterans from the Second World War and former prisoners of war. Our oldest member is just over 100.

The Royal Air Force Club: the facts and figures

128 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7PY

Chief executive Miles Pooley

Executive chef Michael Dutnall

Bedrooms 110

Function rooms 8

Staff 135, including casuals, made up of 23 nationalities

Annual number of events 1,250 approximately

Annual number of F&B covers 182,000

Average bill for dinner in the Dining Room (lunch and dinner) £28 plus VAT (2017)

Room rates £94-£262

The Association of London Clubs

The Royal Air Force Club is one of 56 clubs of differing types and sizes that make up the Association of London Clubs. Most are traditional and some are sporting clubs. Its principal objectives are to provide a forum for the discussion of matters of common interest, such as changes in legislation and regulations, to benchmarking and practical training.