The Team
Robin Draper
Moved to Bethersden 35 years ago with Marian and three teenage children. Once in Bethersden he served 10 years as Chief Executive of a local farmers Co-operative and then in 1996 started his own gardening business. 'The community of Bethersden has been hugely important to me and centre to this has been the friendship that I have enjoyed with many villagers at The George'.
Joanne Brannan
Moved to Bethersden ten years ago to buy her first home and start a family with her husband and lifelong village resident, Duncan. Formerly a Sales Director with an international media agency, Jo now splits her time between raising two young children and running her own business from home. She is excited to be part of the team bringing The George back to life as a vibrant community hub
Roger Kelly
Has been an acoustic engineer for 30 years and started his own business twenty years ago. The business has recently been sold and he is looking for a new business challenge on top of golf! He has lived in Bethersden for over seven years and is committed to helping The George reopen
Alex Withington
Lived in the village with his wife since 2014, now with 2 young (and very active) children. Formally Head of Commercial Operations at BT, now the Sales Director for an online car supermarket. Alex loves cask (proper) beer and used to help out at The George’s annual beer festival.
Michele Sadler
Michele has lived in Bethersden for 32 years with her husband Ray Rank. Runs her own business from home. Delighted to be invited to join the team and help with planning future events for the community
Welcome to the George Community
Following the pub's closure in 2020, local residents are now coming together to form the "George Community.” We plan to reopen, regenerate and protect this most precious asset for generations to come, with all profits redirected back into our community.
This initiative is led and funded by the local community with the support of Ashford Borough Council, Bethersden Parish Council and the Plunkett Foundation.
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