Blogs

25 years of #bmFamily💜💚 fun

Well, what a 25th party—and a half—we had to celebrate 25 years of the bm! All credit to Antony and Angus, our MDs, for their efforts in making it happen, as they are now the ones responsible for the #bmfamily💜💚 culture and fun.

The beginnings of Bartlett Mitchell

Bartlett Mitchell, as it was, started at the new millennium—January 2000—so the celebration was perfectly timed. It was wonderful to see so many #bmfamily💜💚 team members at the party who joined us at the very beginning and made a significant difference during a considerable part of bm’s journey

Thank you to the team

As it was a party, we kept formal speeches to a minimum. However, I did want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the incredible bm team we work alongside. Personally, I also wanted to recognise those individuals who have made a particularly big impact at bm, acting as guardians and pillars of the #bmfamily💜💚 culture, and who have been our best supporters over the years (and have now become lifelong friends).

These trusted team members continue to provide immense value to our MDs and wider team with their experience, knowledge, and unwavering support.

Spotlight on our team members

Lin Dickens: Our Marketing Visionary

Lin, our Marketing Director, is an extraordinarily talented person who, in reality, was the third partner of bm. Lin ran her own marketing agency at the time we started and, fortunately, joined as an employee years later. She created our iconic pear logo and branding, ensuring it reflected our fundamental food values of freshness and vibrancy—values we’ve stayed true to for 25 years.

I admire Lin’s commitment, sense of community, work ethic, and honest, open approach. She’s a powerhouse of creativity and productivity and one of the best at developing her team, inspiring them to achieve goals they likely never imagined possible. Without Lin, BM wouldn’t be the same. She has been a staunch guardian of our core food values through everything we do.

Sally Grimes: Keeping Us Safe

Sally, who leads our Health and Safety efforts, has held many roles within BM over the years. What she excels at is her razor-sharp ability to keep us safe and up-to-date on all matters. Sally even manages to make 20-minute health and safety sessions during our weekly “Cup of Tea” training fun, engaging, and relevant.

She embodies our “Open and Honest” value, ensuring everyone is clear on their responsibilities. Sally has been 100% committed to bm and remains a vital part of the #bmfamily💜💚.

Sophie Bird: The Organisational Powerhouse

Sophie joined bm over 20 years ago when I persuaded her to help us while “between jobs.” She’s taken on numerous support roles across almost every department. Sophie has been a trusted resource who always delivers and ensures we are well-organised. Her reliability has been critical during the pains of a growing business.

Murray Soper: Champion of Culture

Murray has shone in various roles over the years and is now one of the greatest champions of the #bmfamily💜💚 culture. Murray joined us through a TUPE transfer as a butler and has developed himself and his career with resilience and passion. He epitomises our value of being “obsessive about our people” and is an incredible source of support.

Richard Hodgson: Our Trusted Problem-Solver

Richard is the person we call whenever there’s a problem to solve or a trusted pair of hands is needed. His leadership inspires our teams to maintain quality and navigate complex systems. Richard embodies our entrepreneurial spirit, always looking at the bigger picture and thinking of innovative solutions.

Hannah Carmichael: Knowledge and Innovation

Hannah Carmichael is perhaps the person who knows the most about bm. She originally joined us by chance, stepping in to replace her sister, and has remained a constant presence ever since. Hannah’s incredible knowledge, creativity, and commitment have been instrumental in our business development team and in driving sustainability as our “Green Champion Goddess.”

Our amazing front-line teams

Of course, we wouldn’t be where we are, 25 years in, without our incredible front-line teams. From Georgie, our first Operations Manager, to Kim and Damian, who joined us in the early days and continue to keep our plates spinning, these individuals have been integral to shaping our business.

Many of our managers started as young adults and are now middle-aged with families of their own—a testament to their loyalty and determined excellence over the years.

Our retired supporters

We’ve also had many invaluable supporters who are now retired, such as Val, Irene, and our finance managers and admin team. They treated bm as if it were their own business, helping us navigate the bumps along the way.

Our chefs

Of course, as a food company—for Ian and me, it was all about the food. Through the years we have had so many truly talented people in our chef team It’s my greatest joy to be amongst them and to be able to provide a platform where they can excel and be free to express their talents. There are so many talented chefs and foodies within our business they really are the backbone of our business. They are also the funniest group, not only do they excel in their craft but also bring humour and positivity, no matter what the stress, delivering outstanding food with a wonderful attitude and above all a cheeky smile.

Support you can trust

Finally, the most important people in our business are the front-line teams that work on-site. They always hold our future in their hands, and their comments about how much they enjoy working within bm bring me immense joy and inspiration. It is also from these front-line teams that our EDI actions are driven by the super-talented (yes, more females) Dorri, Cathy, and Tripti. They have been with us for years and are now leading their teams with a detailed plan to drive change from the ground up.

I am in awe of these ‘long-termers’ and their ability to do what they say they will, be clear in their communication, remain consistent in their high standards, and have no hidden agendas. They are always about the team rather than themselves.

It’s always a ‘we’ and never an ‘I’, and it’s always, “How can I help?”

It is thanks to trusted team members like these that the family feel has been created. What we strive for most is to show that we care—and you can’t do that unless you truly walk the talk from the heart.

I’m also very proud that many of those who have been superstars at bm have been female. There is no doubt that our caring ‘one team’ culture has predominantly been driven by them. Why? Because I see daily how they put egos aside and ensure that it’s about the team effort rather than the individual. I know there is plenty of scientific evidence to show how female influence in an organisation is beneficial, and I can honestly say that bm is a case study of this. I’ll be interested to see how the culture develops over time, as, like all organisations, there is a need to adapt to survive.

What I hope everyone understood about our 25-year tenure is that it wasn’t Ian or me who made it all happen—it truly was a team effort. I have been extraordinarily lucky from the early days to have gathered so many truly reliable, always-delivering, honest people who, above all, cared as much as I did about the #bmfamily💜💚 way of life and making a difference to our team’s journey.