What Makes ‘Inn-Dispensable’ Different to Other Training Providers?

Inn-Dispensable started in a very small way twenty-five years ago. It was then that a husband and wife team, Phil and Terri Davison, decided to leave running pubs, to train and help others who wanted to fulfil their dreams. Today, Inn-Dispensable is run by another husband and wife team, Martin and Lynda Read – still with very much the same goals.

Martin Read, Managing Director, Inn-Dispensable

Here’s Our Story

Phil and Terri Davison opened up for business running weekly courses from a small room in a small pub in Hampshire. Soon, through their popularity and reputation, they attracted work from large pub companies, and ran courses for them across the UK. But, as always, being a “one man and woman band” they found it impossible to fulfil all of the demands on their time and expertise.

Phil Davison, our original co-founder

What to do? Scratching heads they thought, “Hang on, we know other great and experienced people from the pub industry who might like to join us and do some training” – and so growth began.

Whilst all of this was going on, a certain Martin Read, 15 years ago, took early retirement after a 37 year career with Whitbread, having joined that mighty company as a management trainee (and having been brought up in a pub, it was in his DNA) and he was “looking for a new career”.

You guessed it, the two joined forces and formed a new company called Inn-Dispensable Business Services Ltd. Martin then set about the task of recruiting others to join the team, and after 37 years in the industry had no problem in finding like-minded, skilled people who wanted to work for Inn-Dispensable on a franchise basis – all being self-employed, but belonging within the ethos and family spirit of the parent company.

To further make it a real family concern, Lynda, Martin’s wife, herself having run pubs and clubs (including the famous Cavern in Liverpool) and who had also been an area manager and a catering manager for a major brewer (and winning the prestigious Area Manager of the Year tile) decide to join Inn-Dispensable as Operations Director.

Today, other than those who have retired, all of our family of franchisees and administration staff are still with us. In fact we have never ‘lost’ a team member for any other reason than personal progress or personal situation.

Sadly, in 2014 Phil passed away, but Terri continues to be involved with this successful family business.

When asked recently “What makes your company different to all of the others delivering licensing courses?”, Martin replied, “Our whole team are hand picked by two families who want to create a trustworthy, professional service and team, where no member feels anything other than being part of the family, with a commitment to protect and grow our reputation earned over the past 25 years. Any of our customers can phone Lynda or myself at any time and so speak to the Horses Mouth (as it were)”. Pretty rare in these days of waiting to speak to leave a recorded message, whilst listening to Vivaldi!

Today, no training company has delivered more licensing courses than Inn-Dispensable, a record to be proud of but mindful that it is only achieved by dedication to great service and happy customers!