Proud of Your Staff: The White Hart Inn

The baby-faced team at the White Hart Inn in Wensleydale is the latest to be nominated for The Publican's Proud of Your Staff initiative.

Located in Hawes amid the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park, the pub has seven letting bedrooms and a busy 24-cover restaurant, which serves an extensive menu of high quality meals. Licensee Diane Horner is keen to put the pub's ongoing success down to her staff, some of whom are as young as 15.

"The difference between my place and others is that usually the average age of our cooks, waiters, waitresses and kitchen staff is around 17," she says. "Most nights the oldest person in the kitchen and restaurant is just 19. Every single one of my young staff performs their duties to the very highest of standards."

Diane insists that without her staff, she would be unable to cope throughout the busy seasons, when the pub has to serve as many as 70 meals a night - and at least the same number of lunchtime snacks and meals.

"The youth of today are often given such bad press, but Ifrequently thank heaven that I have my young ones," she says. "Without them and all of their hard work, I simply would not be able to function."

Are you Proud of your Staff? Call the hotline on 020 7955 3713 or email proudofpubs@thepublican.com