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Sweet Journey From Apprentice To Mayor
Mayor Debbie Brock is a champion of education business links in Milton Keynes and has had a remarkable work journey of her own.
As Mayor she has attended several events involving young people and employers, including a Career WorkOut! session at MK Academy, a Young Enterprise exhibition in Middleton Hall and the Investors In Education awards ceremony at The Ramada Encore Hotel.
“I love taking part in events organised by Countec (MK’s Education Business Partnership),” she says. “It’s always inspiring to see young people succeeding and being acknowledged. At 14 I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do.”
Debbie’s work journey began when she left school and enrolled at the Cordon Bleu school in London. It was an intense year commuting from Olney. She developed her self-management skills by doing homework on the bus.
Debbie then did various catering jobs abroad – in France, Australia and Antigua – including spells cooking for Sir Yehudi and Lady Menuhin and also the former ex- King and Queen of Greece.
In 1994 she realised she wanted to specialise as a pastry chef and took herself to Salzburg, Austria, to learn German, initially wanting to apply to work at Demel, in Vienna. This did not succeed and she went on to a 6-month ‘stage’ post with the Confiserie Spruengli (brother of Lindt) in Zurich and then to a three-year apprenticeship, achieved in nine months, at Cafe Gmeiner in Germany.
The German for apprentice is ‘gesellen’, meaning journeyman, and the experience of doing an apprenticeship was a big learning journey for Debbie.
“You never stop learning, the thing is to enjoy what you’re doing,” she says. “Apprenticeships are good for experiencing formal relationships that build respect. It’s about your approach. I used to put myself up for Sunday shifts so I could learn as much as possible & get as much experience as possible.”
Returning from Germany in 1998, Debbie helped out for a while with her father’s car sales business in Olney before setting up her own business, ‘Brock Chocolates’, in Newport Pagnell (and later in Olney too).
“I think anybody can be an entrepreneur, run with an idea and get the best out of others,” she says, “but it’s not for those who want the easy way.” After six years running Brock Chocolates, Debbie realised she was not only running her own business but also doing nearly all the manufacturing, marketing, and buying. “It was time for something different. “
Then she met Peter, her husband, and got into politics.
“Being Mayor has been the most amazing experience and a privilege, especially as I had only been a councillor (Olney Ward) for four years,” she says. “It has helped me understand Milton Keynes as a fantastic place to live, work and relax.”
Debbie has various plans in the pipeline for when she steps down from the role of Mayor, including further work with the Cenotaph Trust and developing with others the MK Hospitality & Catering Awards. And she & Peter have a three year old daughter!
Debbie has a bright outlook on life and on the future for young people going into work.
“Work Experience is massively important because it gives you a taste of what’s to come. We had several Work Experience students over the years at Brock Chocolates, who then went on to paid work with us. We treated them like adults, valuable members of our team, and taught them the importance of communication, especially listening. Experiencing work when you are young is important and character building.”
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